'Career ender' - Premier League and four referees disagree on Man United star Lisandro Martinez booking

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez's booking at the end of the draw with Chelsea has split opinion among experts in the aftermath.

With the game heading towards a draw, the Argentine found himself in trouble when his studs caught Cole Palmer after the attacking midfielder had flicked the ball over the United man's head. Immediately, referee Rob Jones booked Martinez for the challenge, but as the opposition complained, VAR checked the incident.

After deliberation by Michael Salisbury, the decision was made to continue the game. However, that has not been the end of the debate. MEN Sport has taken a look at the differing views of four ex-referees and the Premier League on the tackle.

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Premier League

Soon after the incident, the Premier League, through their Match Centre X account, explained the rationale of the VAR to not overturn the booking for Martinez. "The referee issued a yellow card to Martinez for a challenge on Palmer," they wrote.

"VAR checked for a potential red card and confirmed the referee’s call of no red card, deeming that it was a reckless challenge and not serious foul play."

Mike Dean

After watching several replays, Dean added on co-commentary duties: "He’s come down, he’s just caught the end of his knee with his studs. There’s not a lot of force in it, it’s more of a glancing blow down across his knee rather than endangering the safety of an opponent."

Dermot Gallagher

The co-host of Sky Sports' Ref Watch Gallagher admitted that while the booking was correct, Martinez was mightily fortunate to escape further punishment. "I think he's lucky," he explained.

"His starting position is so close to Palmer, if he makes that challenge, comes in from distance, speed and intensity that's when he'll be in trouble. Because he's so close to him, he doesn't generate that force.

"It's fleeting contact. Because it's such a short distance, he doesn't generate that intensity."

Keith Hackett

In his column for The Telegraph, ex-Premier League referee Hackett was less forgiving. "The landing area of the boot was on Palmer's knee and quite clearly it endangered the player's safety," he explained.

"Referee Rob Jones was in a good position to view the incident and decided yellow. He probably concluded that there was insufficient force behind Martinez's challenger to warrant a stronger sanction.

"That, for me, was a clear and obvious error and VAR should have asked the referee to go and review the incident on the pitchside monitor. We have seen a lot of yellow cards this season but the laws, which were penned to protect players by issuing red cards, should be enforced when appropriate.

"It was the type of tackle that can end a player's career. The Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) should be more rigorous in enforcing this policy.

"Jones has had his career enhanced this season by taking charge of some big matches and this game at Old Trafford was probably his biggest yet, but he has been let down on this occasion by VAR."

Jeff Winter

Concluding the analysis on the incident, another ex-top flight referee Winter told Grosvenor Casino: "This shouldn't affect the referee's decision, but he possibly didn't catch him as badly as he could have done. But when you look, if it was a slightly late tackle you could feel for the defender, but he was nowhere near the ball, it was the other side of him.

"I think the commentator saying it was an orange was a very kind assessment of that, because it could have quite easily have been a red. One thing that happened in that incident, I was always taught as a referee, if you're going to send a player off when there's been a really bad tackle, no matter how good the potential advantage is, you don't play on.

"Because if that potential advantage breaks down then there's repercussions between players and the action, so you can totally lose control of the game. When if you'd have just stopped the game and issued an early red card, it would have calmed it all down.

"So, I think the referee who did have a good game and was well placed, I think he's immediately known it's not a red card in his mind, but I think Martinez, now it's not for the first time in his career, was rather fortunate with that one. A different referee, a different day... [he could have been sent off] and this is the frustrating thing about VAR, sometimes it uses a little bit of common sense and says leave it to the referee. Other times, needlessly, in my opinion, they get involved."