Manchester United’s interim boss Michael Carrick did not hold back in his assessment of a controversial refereeing call that he believes turned the match on its head, as his side slipped to a 2-1 home defeat against Leeds United at Old Trafford.
The flashpoint came when defender Lisandro Martínez was shown a straight red card following an altercation with Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Referee Paul Tierney initially let play continue but later reviewed the incident with VAR official John Brooks before making the decisive call, ruling Martínez guilty of pulling his opponent’s hair.
Carrick strongly disputed the decision, arguing the contact was accidental and lacked any malicious intent. From his perspective, Martínez had already been destabilised during the tussle and merely reached out, with minimal contact that did not justify a dismissal. The United coach warned that penalising such marginal incidents so harshly could set an uneasy standard for future officiating.
The Argentine centre-back appeared incredulous as he left the field, visibly protesting the ruling that left United a man down for the remainder of the contest.
Leeds wasted little time exploiting their numerical advantage. Noah Okafor struck twice before halftime, putting the visitors firmly in control and silencing the home crowd. United attempted a response after the interval, with Casemiro finding the net to reduce the deficit, but the comeback never fully materialised.
The result carried added significance for Leeds, marking a rare triumph at Old Trafford — their first league success at the venue in more than 20 years — and only their second away win of the current Premier League campaign. For United, the defeat represented a missed opportunity to strengthen their position in the race for a top-six finish.
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