Rob DawsonApr 13, 2026, 05:45 PM ETMultiple Authors
Interim manager Michael Carrick branded the decision to send off defender Lisandro Martínez “shocking” as Manchester United fell to a 2-1 defeat to Leeds United.
Martinez was dismissed for an apparent hair-pull on Dominic Calvert-Lewin after referee Paul Tierney was asked to review the incident on the pitchside monitor by VAR John Brooks.
The Argentinian looked bemused by the decision and was still remonstrating as he walked off the pitch.
“Lisandro, to start with, he gets an arm in the face, so he’s kind of off balance in the kind of off grappling,” Carrick said.
“He almost just goes to touch him and grab his shirt, and he ends up catching his head, touches the back of his hair, the bobble comes out and you get a red card?
“It’s not aggressive. There’s no jolt. There’s no tug. There’s no sudden movement. He kind of touches it and glances through it.
“You’ve just got to be careful where the game’s going if we’re giving red cards for that. It’s a shocking decision, absolutely shocking.”
Noah Okafor stunned Old Trafford in the first half with a brace that saw Leeds celebrate a first Premier League win against Manchester United in over 23 years.
Casemiro’s second-half goal halved the lead, but the hosts were unable to mount a comeback as old rivals Leeds walked away with all three points at a key stage in the season.
“I don’t make the rules,” he said. “I felt my hair get pulled, told the ref, he makes the decisions. Unfortunate for [Martinez], whether he’s meant it or not. I hold no grudges.”
In January, Everton’s Michael Keane was sent off and banned for three games for appearing to pull the hair of Wolves striker Tolu Arokodare.
Fulham’s Kenny Tete escaped punishment when he appeared to pull Antoine Semenyo’s hair in a game against Manchester City in February.
“I have to say that’s really concerning if that’s going to be a sending off,” Carrick said. “I know he [Martinez] touched his hair. He can’t deny he touched his head.
“There’s a difference between touching somebody the way he has and brushing his hair to actually, really aggressively, tugging on it, which certainly we’ve seen at certain points where there’s a real kind of emphasis to. It’s really concerning.”
Calvert-Lewin said afterward he informed Tierney after feeling Martinez pull his hair.
Rob DawsonApr 13, 2026, 05:45 PM ETMultiple Authors
Nicol: Carrick still deserves Manchester United job (1:12)Steve Nicol backs Michael Carrick to land the permanent Manchester United job despite a 2-1 home defeat to Leeds United. (1:12)