Despite having ten men after Rodrigo Bentancur’s red card, Tottenham Hotspur drew 1-1 with Manchester United.
Tottenham Hotspur made a clear decision to send off Rodrigo Bentancur against Manchester United after the Uruguay international was sent off for violent conduct.
The 29-year-old was sent off in the 78th minute as United took a 1-0 lead thanks to Brian Mbeumo’s goal. Spurs man went to tackle Luke Shaw before the defender reacted by shoving Bentancur.
The Spurs star headbutted a United defender and the referee had no choice but to send him off. Fortunately for Roberto De Zerbi, Dominic Solanke scored a late equalizer to secure a share of the spoils.
Speaking on Sky Sports Ref Watch about the incident, former referee Dermot Gallagher said: “I think it’s a red card. I haven’t spoken to a lot of people who think it shouldn’t be. I just wonder if it could have been avoided.
“That tackle (Bentancourt sliding on Shaw) should be penalized. If you give it a free-kick, it goes away. And after that, I think it’s a red card.”
Jay Bothroyd agreed with the red card decision but said both players were lucky to escape injury considering they were close to the billboards. Botroyd said: “If Bentancourt was closer to the touchline he could have hurt himself, it would have been a dangerous play.
“That first Bentancourt call should be a must-order. He’s off the ground; he’s out of control. It’s an aggressive call.
“But by the letter of the law you get a red card if you put your head in someone’s face. But I’d say Shaw’s push is more dangerous than Bentancourt’s.
“If he’s close enough to the touchline, he’s flying into the boards. If either of those two problems catch Shaw, he’s coming off the field injured.”
Former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood says he can understand Shaw’s struggles.
“Shaw has two strikes,” Sherwood told Sky Sports News. “Van Heck comes in, runs away from him, jumps in. Then Bentancourt comes in, I can see why Sean is fired up.
“Should I say he should wear shin pads? That might prevent him from getting hurt. It’s not yellow if you don’t wear shin pads. He’s got a couple of credit cards in his sock.
“If Shaw hits his foot on the ball there, he’s going to break his leg.”