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Keane was furious because he believes Fernandes started the entire incident and walked away untouched for it. The United captain caught a grounded Phil Foden with a kick before Foden lashed out and picked up the red card that left City a man short. On Sky Sports, Keane called Fernandes the truly violent party and said Foden’s sending-off was wrong. It wasn’t loyalty talk either; he’d made the identical argument about Kyle Walker back in 2024, applying one standard rather than defending his old club’s rival.
The season’s first Manchester derby at Old Trafford was only 23 minutes old when it exploded into controversy. Phil Foden was bundled over near the touchline by United captain Bruno Fernandes, who then caught the grounded Foden with a kick. Foden reacted by lashing out with his studs into Fernandes’ midriff.
Referee Michael Oliver produced a straight red card, and VAR confirmed it. City were reduced to ten men, yet went on to win 1-0 through a contentious Erling Haaland goal. The result barely mattered next to the row the sending-off created.
Oliver’s explanation was direct: Foden was sent off for a kick out into the body of Fernandes. VAR backed him, describing a clear secondary movement that confirmed the red card for City’s number 47.
Fernandes, meanwhile, was left unpunished despite footage showing him kicking Foden while the United man lay on the ground. Under the laws of the game, violent conduct applies to excessive force used while not challenging for the ball, which is exactly what the officials judged Foden’s response to be. VAR could not retrospectively issue a yellow card for that, only a red, and chose not to act. Because his kick was reviewed as part of the same sequence, the FA cannot revisit it either. The incident that started everything goes officially untouched.
Keane was unambiguous on Sky Sports. He said Fernandes catches him and gives him a little kick, and questioned whether Foden should have seen red at all given who provoked it first. He went further, accusing Fernandes of play-acting and saying he needed to do better than rolling around.
He also drew a pointed comparison to his own criticism of Kyle Walker when Rasmus Hojlund was sent off for a headbutt in December 2024, signalling his argument was about consistency, not club loyalty. For Keane, Fernandes created the entire incident, shaped the referee’s decision, and walked away scot-free. That, to him, was the real injustice of the afternoon, far more than anything that happened in the ninety minutes that followed.
Micah Richards sided with Keane on air, saying Fernandes caught him and that it’s Fernandes who started it, even while disagreeing with Foden’s response. Richards made the sharpest tactical point of the afternoon too, noting that if Foden had stayed down instead of reacting, Fernandes would have been the one sent off.
Gary Neville was more measured but equally critical of the officiating gap, saying he was surprised Fernandes didn’t get a yellow for the kick on the floor and that Fernandes had pulled a reaction out of Foden that ultimately helped his own teammates. City manager Enzo Maresca went further still after the final whistle, arguing that Foden’s red card is correct but that the same action carries a red for Fernandes too.
Fernandes picked up five yellow cards across 35 Premier League appearances in 2025-26, and 43 across his entire career in the competition, one of the highest tallies among active midfielders. Keane has previously argued the captaincy should be stripped from him over his conduct on the pitch.
Because the VAR review already covered his kick as part of the checked sequence, the FA is legally blocked from retrospective action, meaning this Premier League 2026 Bruno Fernandes red card row ends with him facing zero punishment while Foden serves the standard three-game ban alone. Keane, Richards and Maresca all made the same point in different words: that a punishment landing on only one player from a two-man flashpoint isn’t justice; it’s just how the rulebook happened to fall.
Should Bruno Fernandes have faced any disciplinary action at all for the kick that started it, or does the rulebook simply not allow for it? Have your say in the comments.
Why was Phil Foden sent off against Manchester United?
Foden was sent off for violent conduct after kicking out at Fernandes while grounded. Referee Michael Oliver issued a straight red card in the 23rd minute, and VAR confirmed the decision.
What did Roy Keane say about Bruno Fernandes?
Keane said on Sky Sports that Fernandes was the one being violent, not Foden. He compared it to his 2024 criticism of Kyle Walker over Rasmus Hojlund’s red card, calling for consistent standards.
Did Bruno Fernandes get a red card in the Manchester derby?
No, Fernandes escaped without any card despite footage showing him kicking Foden on the ground. VAR reviewed his actions in the same sequence as Foden’s dismissal but chose not to issue even a yellow.
What is Bruno Fernandes’ disciplinary record this season?
Fernandes picked up five yellow cards in 35 Premier League appearances during 2025-26. His career total in the competition stands at 43 yellow cards, among the highest of any active midfielder.
Did the FA review the Phil Foden red card?
VAR reviewed and confirmed the red card during the match itself. The FA cannot take retrospective action because both incidents were already examined in the same on-day check.
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