BRUNO FERNANDES 'FIRST KICK' VAR AUDIO RELEASED AS MAN UNITED PUNISHMENT RECOMMEND

Bruno Fernandes was not cautioned despite appearing to kick Phil Foden while the Manchester City forward was on the floor, whereas Foden was sent off for his reaction towards the Portuguese midfielder.

Bruno Fernandes got away with a booking in the Manchester derby

Howard Webb has said Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes should have been shown a yellow card for appearing to swipe at Phil Foden, who was sat on the floor during the Manchester derby. Foden then reacted, kicking back and catching Fernandes with both feet in the lower abdomen, sending the Portuguese midfielder to the ground.

Referee Michael Oliver had no hesitation in producing a red card for Foden, who was left stunned, while Fernandes went unpunished despite kicking the City player first. Video Assistant Referee (VAR) could not recommend a yellow card because Oliver had already seen and acted on the incident.

Speaking on Match Officials Mic'd Up, chief refereeing officer Webb said: "So, taking those in order, Michael, I agree with the red card for Phil Foden for violent conduct. He kicks out with force into the upper body of Bruno Fernandes. We saw a player sent off for Aston Villa earlier in the season. Joao Gomes was sent off for a very similar thing, kicking with the studs into the body.

"And that's seen by the referee on the field, and that's the on-field call, a red card for Foden. Now, when you look at the footage, there is that petulant kick by Bruno Fernandes into the backside of Foden. It is more petulant than violent. To be violent conduct, it has to have excessive force or brutality, and when you look at that, particularly in full speed, it doesn't have those elements.

"So therefore, this would be a yellow card offence. And the VAR can't step in to recommend the referee looks at the screen to give a yellow card. Of course, if all of this is missed and nothing is given against Foden, then the VAR could step in so the referee could see Foden's actions for a possible red card, and they would capture Fernandes' yellow card action. But because the referee gave the red card on the field, that option is not open to the VAR."

Pro Ref, formerly PGMOL, have also released the VAR audio, with both the VAR and assistant VAR concluding that Fernandes kicked the ball rather than Foden himself.

Assistant VAR: "It was for a kick-out. It looks like he's given a foul and then the legs came up."

VAR: "Michael [referee], the penalty is checked and cleared. Just confirm your on-field decision in terms of discipline here, please."

Referee: "Red card, Phil Foden. Kick out into the body of Bruno [Fernandes]. The foul is by Bruno on Phil. I think he's in a tangle and when they are separating, I think Phil kicks him. But they will check."

VAR: "That looks like a clear red card to me. Secondary movement, watch broadcast. Okay, happy to confirm? Red card. Happy to confirm? Confirming the red card for Manchester City 47. A kick to the midriff with two feet."

"Just roll through to check that Bruno does nothing. I'm absolutely certain he doesn't. No, he kicks the ball; it's fine."

Assistant VAR: "No, the other one [Bruno's first kick]. That's not what they're talking about. That is the one they're talking about."

VAR: "Minimal, minimal. That's not for us; that's fine."

Assistant VAR: "Yeah, I agree."

At the time, a Premier League explanation read: "#MUNMCI – 23’ The referee's call of red card to Foden for violent conduct was checked and confirmed by VAR."

Meanwhile, Roy Keane went as far as suggesting that Fernandes 'was the one who was violent' during the challenge. He told Sky Sports: "Bruno tackles him, fouls him, gives him a little boot on the floor, reacts and he's now sent off. Bruno catches him, Foden sent off, I guess it's classed as violent and to me, Bruno is the one who violent.

"I have to call it out, called it with Kyle Walker a few years ago when he went down after a head butt, we see violent differently. I don't think that's a red card for Foden, I don't. 'Did the referee get given a chance?'

"Foden is daft here but so is Bruno. If Bruno got sent off, we'd be saying, 'it was a daft, a bit silly.' Everyone's in a union, you've got to look out for each other. We saw Walker a few years ago do it with a head butt, Bruno has got to do better there. It's a big game, you've got to look after the opposition players as well. Foden, I don't think it's a red card."

Foden, who was sent off in the 23rd minute of the Manchester derby, now faces a three‑game ban, meaning the England international will miss Thursday night's Carabao Cup tie against Norwich City.

Premier League rules state that red cards issued in league matches carry over into other domestic competitions, including the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. Yellow cards, however, remain competition‑specific.

As a result, City’s clash with Norwich will be the first match Foden sits out under the suspension. He will also be unavailable for City's Premier League return against Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium this weekend, as well as the trip to Liverpool on October 11 following the international break.

- Bruna Reis

GUARDIOLA RAISES VAR CONCERN FOLLOWING NEWCASTLE SEMI-FINAL VICTORY

Antoine Semenyo scored again as City beat Newcastle 2-0 but he was denied a second after Erling Haaland was controversially ruled offside

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has expressed profound frustration over VAR inconsistencies, despite his side securing a 2-0 victory against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at St James’ Park.

The win was overshadowed by a controversial disallowed goal, which reignited the debate surrounding video assistant referee decisions.

City established their lead at St James’ Park, with Antoine Semenyo scoring his second goal in as many games, followed by Rayan Cherki sealing the win late on.

However, the visitors saw a second Semenyo goal controversially chalked off in the second half. The strike, which came from a corner, was disallowed after a lengthy VAR review deemed Erling Haaland to be offside and impeding defender Malick Thiaw.

Guardiola did not hold back his criticism post-match, drawing comparisons to previous incidents during City’s 2-1 Premier League defeat at the same venue in November. When questioned about receiving an explanation for the decision, Guardiola retorted: "It’s a good question. I say now I’d like to know why VAR in the 60th minute of the Premier League game against Newcastle – that we lost 2-1 – it was 0-0 and it was a penalty for (Fabian) Schar on Phil Foden, not even (giving it any) consideration."

He continued, highlighting another unaddressed incident: "In the 20th minute there is an unbelievable penalty for the shot for Jeremy Doku off the hand, and not even VAR."

The City boss expressed bewilderment at the disparity in VAR application. "Today, four people were not able to decide because the line was, I don’t know, but the second goal Newcastle scored the line was perfect," he said, adding, "I’m not suspicious of that in 10 years. I didn’t say anything when we lost 2-1 here. I didn’t say anything in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace, it is a red card after 30 or 40 minutes for (Dean) Henderson. OK, it’s fine, but the fact we didn’t say… I’m pretty sure Howard Webb (technical director for Professional Game Match Officials) is going to call me tomorrow to take explanations for that."

Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma complains to the referee during November’s Premier League match at St James’ Park (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Guardiola emphasised that his frustration stemmed from a broader issue of consistency, not just results. "When you play semi-finals or finals and win 0-1, 0-0, 0-2, 1-1, because after 0-1 with five minutes they can equalise and after that it’s more difficult. I’m zero suspicious. In 10 years when we lost semi-finals in big competitions, in the league here, I didn’t say anything. On the touchline sometimes. But come on, in the same stadium, what happened? VAR’s intervened, ‘take a look, take a look’ – in the 60th minute, 20th minute, take a look at the two penalties."

Reuters

He concluded his impassioned critique by stating: "To come here in the Premier League and win, 0-1 or 0-2 advantage is a big difference for us. I don’t give any credit to Newcastle. I can say they won deservedly the game in the Premier League but why didn’t (VAR) intervene in these two (incidents)? Today was more than six minutes (reviewing) and we’re not even able to discuss it with the referee. But they will call me."

Meanwhile, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe acknowledged the significant challenge awaiting his team in the second leg at the Etihad Stadium in February. "I think it is probably our biggest challenge, our biggest test of everything really, our belief levels, our ability, our ability to score goals and defend," he stated. "We’re going to have to defend well in that game, otherwise we’ve got no chance." Howe indicated that the focus for now would be on their upcoming fixtures. "I think that’s for another day. I think the beauty of the distance between the two legs means you can just put it away and forget about it. We’ve got so many big games to come before the second leg."

- Rebecca Johnson

AL HILAL SHOCK MAN CITY TO ADVANCE TO CLUB WORLD CUP QUARTER-FINALS

Al Hilal pulled off a sensational win over Manchester City in Florida, securing a 4-3 extra-time victory over the English giants to advance to the quarter-finals of the Fifa Club World Cup.

Marcos Leonardo scored his second goal of the match in the 112th minute after the game ended 2-2 after 90 minutes. Phil Foden's goal in first-half extra time set up a nervy finish, but the Saudi Arabian side held on to claim a famous victory, and with it a place in the last eight where they will face Brazil's Fluminense on Friday.

Bernardo Silva gave City a ninth-minute lead but Pep Guardiola’s side were punished for missing a series of chances as Leonardo and Malcom replied after the break.

Erling Haaland sent the game to extra time but City needed another equaliser from Phil Foden after Kalidou Koulibaly headed Al Hilal back ahead.

The decisive goal came after Sergej Milinkovic-Savic's header was well saved by City goalkeeper Ederson, but the ball fell kindly for Leonardo, who slotted into an empty net to spark wild celebrations on the Hilal bench led by new coach Simone Inzaghi.

"We knew it was a difficult game against one of the best teams in the world," said Koulibaly. "We wanted to show our ideas, our talent, our power, and I think that we made a very good game.

"Defensively, we were very strong and offensively, all of the opportunities we could put inside we put in, so we can be happy."

Guardiola will rue a wasteful first-half display, while credit must also go to Hilal's Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine "Bono" Bounou, who made 10 saves in all.

City started quickly with Ruben Dias heading straight at Bono. There was a hint of handball in the build-up to City's opener, with Rayan Ait-Nouri and Ilkay Gundogan both given the benefit of the doubt, before Silva prodded home the Algerian's cross.

Al Hilal players surrounded referee Jesus Valenzuela but the Venezuelan was unmoved.

City should have extended their lead before half time but Bono denied Savinho, Gundogan, Josko Gvardiol and Jeremy Doku.

Silva had a shot parried but, after riding their luck, Al Hilal went close through Leonardo and Malcom.

City failed to heed those warnings and were punished as Al Hilal struck twice in the first seven minutes of the second half.

The equaliser came as former City full-back Joao Cancelo drove in a low cross. Ederson pushed away and Malcom’s attempt on the rebound was blocked, but the ball looped up for Leonardo to head in.

City were stung again moments later as Al Hilal quickly recycled the ball from a corner they were defending.

Malcom broke from halfway and buried a low shot into the far corner.

City needed to respond and did so as a Silva corner led to a goalmouth scramble.

Haaland pounced from close range to level but, far from settling nerves, the Premier League side remained vulnerable.

Malcom was brought down by Dias for what seemed a certain penalty only for an offside flag to spare City. It also took a good recovery tackle by Manuel Akanji to prevent Malcom getting in another shot and Mohamed Kanno fluffed a free header.

City were inches away as Akanji headed against the post and Haaland’s follow-up was cleared off the line.

City, who lost Haaland to injury, were stunned when Al Hilal reclaimed the lead with Koulibaly’s powerful header in the first period of extra time.

Yet the drama was far from over as Foden, having come off the bench to replace another substitute in the ineffective Rodri, exquisitely volleyed in from a Rayan Cherki cross.

Al Hilal refused to lie down and scored yet again as Leonardo pounced.

It capped what has been a disappointing year for City, who surrendered their Premier League crown and finished the season without a trophy having also lost the FA Cup final.

But while City's sojourn may be over, Al Hilal's will continue when they return to the same stadium on Friday to play for a place in the Club World Cup semi-finals.

- Steve Luckings

BALLON D'OR 2024 NOMINEES

 

PLAYERS' PLAYER OF THE YEAR | TOP SIX NOMINATIONS | PFA AWARDS 2024

 

SOUTHGATE'S BOLD, BELATED SUBS FIRE ENGLAND TO EURO 2024 FINAL

Gareth Southgate's 81st-minute substitutions sparked England to a late Euro 2024 semifinal win over the Netherlands on Wednesday. Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

 DORTMUND, Germany -- Gareth Southgate finally broke the pattern.

England's Euro 2024 semifinal against the Netherlands was threatening to drift away from them in the style of previous tournament exits since the 53-year-old manager took charge in 2016. After being dominated in a first half that ended tied at 1-1, Dutch boss Ronald Koeman changed his approach at half-time, sending on Wout Weghorst, closing up the spaces Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and Kobbie Mainoo had been exploiting and asked a different question of England and Southgate.

For a while, it flummoxed them. England had nine shots in Wednesday's 2-1 win but none between the 41st minute and 87th. Southgate waited a long time before making his move.

Memories of Croatia in 2018, France in 2022 and even the previous Euros final in between -- which England lost on penalties -- began to resurface as Southgate seemed unable to reverse the momentum ebbing away from his side.

The conversations he has on the touchline with trusted assistant Steve Holland can seem interminable. There is no doubt other managers are more proactive, instinctive even.

But having been largely forced into bringing on Luke Shaw at half-time as Kieran Trippier suffered a groin problem that makes him a doubt for Sunday's final, Southgate's double change with 10 minutes to go was, eventually, bold.

Harry Kane is England's all-time leading goal scorer and captain, but despite scoring the first-half penalty that cancelled out Xavi Simons' sublime opener, he was flatfooted, tired and far too easy to mark. Southgate suggested afterward that the Denzel Dumfries challenge on Kane, which led to his penalty, had left a mark on the forward.

Foden was also caught in the wider malaise but had been so dangerous in the first half, having a shot cleared off the line before hitting the post from long range. Taking them both off for Ollie Watkins and Cole Palmer was not an easy call given their reputations and standings, but it was the right one.

Palmer fired over in the 88th minute but then played a clever pass through for Watkins, who turned Stefan de Vrij and fired a stunning shot across Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and just inside his right-hand post. Cue pandemonium.

Somewhere in the maelstrom, Southgate reacted by introducing Conor Gallagher and Ezri Konsa to see out stoppage-time and spark more jubilant scenes at full-time. After allowing the players to take centre stage in front of the euphoric England supporters, Southgate took a moment to celebrate passionately in front of them.

This is a tournament campaign that has been blighted by fitness issues from the outset and heavy criticism from supporters throughout. Now, beer was being thrown in the air, not at Southgate.

"We all want to be loved, right? When you are doing something for your country and you are a proud Englishman, when you don't feel that back and all you read is criticism, it is hard," Southgate said after the match. "To be able to celebrate a second final is very, very special. Especially the fans that travel.

"Our travelling support is amazing, the money they spend, the commitment to do that, to be able to give them a night like this -- and we have given them a few over the last six years from Russia onwards -- it means a lot. If I hadn't been on the grass, I'd have been watching, celebrating like they were.

"We're kindred spirits in many ways. Of course, I'm the one that has to pick a team. To be able to give them a night like tonight is very, very special."

England's opening 45 minutes was the best football they have produced all tournament. Admittedly, the bar for that was pretty low after a series of underwhelming displays, but there was an energy and dynamism about them after Simons' superb seventh-minute strike put the Netherlands in front.

Kane's equaliser came from a penalty that could only really have been awarded in the VAR era, but England were good value for it until the Netherlands shut the game down, making this a similar watch to England's stifled displays against Denmark, Slovenia, Slovakia and Switzerland in particular.

"They were a three-box-three in the second half so we weren't able to be quite as incisive in the second half but we kept the ball really well and made them run," Southgate said. "Maybe in the end, that's the bit that's fatigued them and has been critical in the goal that we scored. There was a lot going on in the game. In the end, it is the players who make the decisions on the pitch, and they did it brilliantly."

Of course, the cycle will only truly be broken if England can go all the way and win their first major men's honour since 1966. This is not a vintage Netherlands side and England have, once again, benefitted from a kinder half of the draw. Final opponents Spain look in the sort of form to give England by some distance their toughest match this summer.

Southgate was asked about the prospect of beating Spain. "We'll have to get the ball off them first," began his reply.

But having scrambled for answers all tournament -- changing Declan Rice's midfield partner three times, switching systems from a back four to a three-man defence -- Southgate came up with the game-changing moment when it really mattered.

It may be a one-off. Criticisms of him will remain, despite a tournament record that now reads: semifinal, final, quarterfinal, final. But England are now in a position where Southgate only needs to be right one more time to achieve immortality.

MAN CITY'S PHIL FODEN NAMED PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE SEASON

Phil Foden has been in inspired form for Manchester City this season and has won a number of individual awards for his performances. Manchester City

 Phil Foden has been named the Premier League's Player of the Season, it was announced on Saturday after the 23-year-old had the best campaign of his career to help put Manchester City within reach of their fourth consecutive league title.

The England international has scored 17 goals and contributed eight assists in 34 league games this season playing centrally and in wide positions.

Heading into the final day of the season, City are two points ahead of Arsenal and should Pep Guardiola's side lift the title, Foden will become the youngest player ever to have won six Premier League trophies.

"To win this award is an achievement that I am extremely proud of," Foden said in a statement. "The Premier League is acknowledged as the greatest league in the world, and it is a pleasure to have been nominated with so many other great players who have all enjoyed special seasons for their clubs.

"Overall, I've been very happy with the way I have played this season and really pleased that I have been able to contribute with the goals and assists throughout the season.

"I'd like to thank all of the City staff, coaches and especially my teammates because without them this wouldn't be possible. And I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who voted for me as the award means a lot."

Foden topped an eight-man shortlist which also included Erling Haaland, Alexander Isak, Martin Ødegaard, Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, Virgil van Dijk and Ollie Watkins.

City players have now won the award five years in a row as Foden joins Rúben Dias, Haaland and two-time winner Kevin De Bruyne in winning the prize.

The last player not from City to win the award was Liverpool's Van Dijk in the 2018-19 season.

England international Foden also won the Football Writers' Association's player of the year award earlier this month.

Palmer was named as the Premier League's Young Player of the Season on Friday following an oustanding debut campaign with the west London club, having joined them from Man City on deadline day.

The 22-year-old has scored 22 times in the league so far and has 10 assists.

He saw off competition from Man City duo Foden and Haaland, Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo, Arsenal's Bukayo Saka and William Saliba, as well as Tottenham's Destiny Udogie to win the award.

- Reuters 

PHIL FODEN IS MAKING A STATEMENT IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE

 

PHIL FODEN ON BUKAYO SAKA | VIA THE STANDARD

PHIL FODEN CAMP INVOLVED IN A.BRAWL INSIDE THE AO ARENA DURING KHAN-BROOK FIGHT

PHIL FODEN'S MOTHER PUNCHED BY HOOLIGAN AFTER AMIR KHAN-KELL BROOK FIGHT AT AO ARENA