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Ibrahimovic lucky to escape red card as referee loses control at Old Trafford
Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic somehow escaped being sent off after a blatant elbow in the face of Bournemouth defender Tyrone Mings at Old Trafford on Saturday.
The Swede has been in great form for United but the red mist descended after he felt Mings had escaped without punishment for stepping on his head seconds earlier. Just before that, Mings had been wrestled to the ground by Ibrahimovic.
Referee Kevin Friend did not even yellow card either player, instead booking Bournemouth skipper Andrew Surman for a challenge on United skipper Wayne Rooney that occurred in the same passage of play as the elbow incident.
Kevin Friend looked scared to send Zlatan off…Mings should be gone as well. Embarrassing refereeing #MUNBOU pic.twitter.com/OoIpPvYsKV
— Kevin Palmer (@RealKevinPalmer) March 4, 2017
Friend had long discussions with his assistants at the end of the first half before booking Surman for a second time – and even then it seemed it needed Rooney to remind the ref that he had already cautioned the Bournemouth man so he had to go.
Read more: Zlatan insists ‘Mings jumped into my elbow’
Read more: How Manchester United v Bournemouth unfolded
It looks like Surman was booked for a shove on Ibrahimovic but both the former Sweden striker and Mings looks set to face retrospective punishment once the incidents are reviewed.
Ibrahimovic then saw his perfectly-struck 72nd minute penalty brilliantly saved by Artur Boruc after Friend awarded a very harsh spot kick to United.
Friend then continued his poor day in the 79th minute when he failed to show Harry Arter a second yellow card for a blatant foul on Pogba who has beaten him 25 yards from goal.
Post match Mings denied he had stamped on the Swede even though TV pictures suggested otherwise. On Sky, Mings insisted: “I would never do that. I play hard and fair – that’s not part of my game.”
Read more: Rooney demands action against Mings after ‘stamp’
Rooney is not so sure though. He told Sky: “Everyone likes to go in for tackle in the game but to try and stamp on a player’s head is wrong – there’s no place for it. I’m sure there will be punishment after the game.”
