“Lucky to Escape”: Sky Sports Pundits Slam Ref for Letting Lisandro Martinez Off with Just a Yellow Card on "Reckless" Tackle

Sky Sports pundits were all in agreement that Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez was lucky not to receive a red card for an aggressive and dangerous tackle on Chelsea’s Cole Palmer. This incident took place in the last stages of the 1-1 draw between the two teams at Old Trafford, and while the referee, Robert Jones, awarded Martinez a yellow card, many considered the tackle was enough to merit a more intense punishment.

During the game, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) reviewed the tackle and decided to stick with the yellow card decision, agreeing with the referee’s call that it didn’t meet the standard for “serious foul play.” However, Gary Neville, who was commentating, felt this was a mistake. He was joined by Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, and Jamie Redknapp, who all thought Martinez had been “lucky” to avoid a red card.

Roy Keane, who was famous for his own tough tackles during his career, said, “The lad’s a lucky boy. He’s not happy that Palmer got the better of him, so he went in hard. It’s a nasty tackle.” Even though Keane knows what it’s like to make dangerous tackles, he still believed this one went too far: “He’s lucky he didn’t catch him worse. But if he’d been sent off, no one would complain.”

Lampard also felt the tackle was dangerous, saying it looked like Martinez intended to go in hard on Palmer. “It’s a red card for intent… He knew he was late, and he wanted to ‘leave something on him,’” he explained. Redknapp agreed, calling the tackle “reckless and nasty,” and saying Martinez acted out of frustration. He added, “I don’t mind aggression, but he went too high with that challenge. It was unnecessary.”

The match itself was tough for both teams, with Keane joking that he couldn’t wait for the game to end. Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo had leveled the score after Bruno Fernandes put United in the lead with a penalty, allowing Chelsea to take an important point and move above Arsenal in the Premier League standings.

After the game, the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL), the organization in charge of referees, explained why Martinez didn’t get a red card. They said that VAR official Michael Salisbury had reviewed the challenge and ultimately decided that it was reckless but not enough for a red card. In their statement, they explained, “The referee gave Martinez a yellow card for his challenge on Palmer. VAR checked for a red card and confirmed the referee’s decision, seeing it as reckless but not serious foul play.”

This decision sparked debates about consistency in officiating and whether VAR is always accurate in deciding what’s dangerous play. Some fans and analysts feel that there should be clearer rules about what counts as a “reckless” or “serious” foul, so referees can protect players better from potentially dangerous tackles. While Martinez escaped a red card, it is important for Match officials to be strict and consistent when it comes to player safety.