VAR should have intervened on Fernandes red - panel

The video assistant referee should have intervened to prevent Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes from being sent off against Tottenham, the Key Match Incidents panel has ruled.

Referee Chris Kavanagh showed Fernandes a red card for a foul on Spurs midfielder James Maddison during Sunday's Premier League match at Old Trafford.

Fernandes has subsequently escaped a three-match ban following a successful appeal from Manchester United.

The KMI panel, made up of five members, includes three ex-players and managers. It unanimously voted the on-field decision was incorrect.

"Fernandes is reaching, the contact is high but certainly not excessive force or endangering the safety. The evidence is also there for a VAR intervention," the panel wrote

The panel unanimously felt that the on-field decision of a red card was incorrect and there was enough evidence for the video assistant referee to overturn the decision.

"The panel also felt that the assistant was responsible for leading this decision," it added.

United trailed Tottenham 1-0 when captain Fernandes was dismissed on 42 minutes and went on to lose 3-0 at Old Trafford.

Elsewhere, the panel unanimously supported the decision of referee Jarred Gillett to award Newcastle a penalty against Manchester City.

City goalkeeper Ederson was adjudged to have made contact with Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon in the 56th minute.

Gordon scored from the spot to earn Newcastle a point courtesy of a 1-1 draw at St James' Park.

There was a split on the panel when it considered Peter Bankes' decision to give Chelsea a penalty in their 4-2 win against Brighton at Stamford Bridge on the same day.

Cole Palmer scored the penalty after Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba was deemed to have fouled Jadon Sancho.

A 3-2 majority on the panel sided with Bankes' on-field decision, with the two voting against feeling that Baleba was "entitled to run that line" and stating it "looks worse due to the closing gap".

The panel was unanimous in its backing of referee Samuel Barrott for not showing a second yellow card to Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori during their 4-2 win against Leicester.

Calafiori was shown a yellow in the 49th minute but escaped further punishment for a tackle on Leicester loanee Facundo Buonanotte in the 70th minute.

"It's a careless challenge, not reckless, it doesn't stop a promising attack as [Thomas] Partey is right there covering," the panel wrote.