Foden was sent off for violent conduct in Man City's 1-0 away victory over Manchester United. He kicked back after being fouled by United captain Bruno Fernandes. Bruno Fernandes appeared to kick Foden first, but Foden was sent off for his reaction, while Bruno Fernandes went unpunished.

However, there was clear confusion during the VAR review of the incident. The referees were checking whether Enzo Fernandes had fouled Tielemans in the buildup, which might have been a penalty for United. When referee Michael Oliver showed the red card to dismiss Foden, VAR official Matt Donohue was still discussing the penalty check and subsequently asked: "Who's been sent off, and for what?"

The assistant referee then reminded Donohue to review Bruno Fernandes' kick toward Foden, which had sparked the confrontation between the two players.

VAR review process becomes muddled over Foden's red card

Head referee: No, no. In my view, Enzo Fernandes played the ball, and their feet were together.

VAR: Checking for a penalty. Let's see another angle to confirm he actually played the ball. It looks like he did play it.

Foden was then sent off immediately after kicking United captain Bruno Fernandes following the challenge.

VAR assistant: There could also be a kicking action.

Head referee: Did he kick him there?

VAR: Confirming you believe Enzo played the ball, so it's not a penalty.

VAR assistant: Possibly a violent act.

VAR: Okay, so he gets a red card. Well, I don't think it's a penalty—he played the ball, didn't he? Okay, now we need to review other incidents.

So who's been sent off here, and for what?

VAR assistant: For kicking. It looks like he fouled first, then both feet came up.

VAR: Michael, the penalty has been reviewed and confirmed it's not a penalty. Please confirm your on-field decision on the disciplinary action.

Head referee: Red card, Phil Foden. He kicked Bruno Fernandes with both feet. Bruno fouled Phil. I think they tangled together, and Phil kicked him as they separated. But they'll check.

VAR: In my view, that's a clear red card. Note his follow-through and review the footage. Can you confirm?

Red card. Can you confirm? Confirming red card for Man City number 47—he kicked the opponent in the torso with both feet.

Play it again to confirm Bruno did nothing else. I'm absolutely certain he didn't do anything. No, he played the ball, no issue.

VAR assistant: No, that's a different action—Bruno's initial kick. They're discussing that one.

VAR: Very slight, very slight. That's outside our scope, no issue.

VAR assistant: Yes, I agree.

Professional Game Match Officials Limited director Howard Webb said: "I agree that Phil Foden was sent off for violent conduct. He kicked Bruno Fernandes in the upper body with force. We saw Aston Villa's João Gomes receive a similar red card. This action was seen by the on-field referee, and that was the referee's decision."

"Reviewing the footage shows Bruno Fernandes kicked Foden recklessly in the back beforehand. This was reckless rather than violent. To qualify as violent conduct, there must be excessive force or brutality. At normal match speed, this action lacks those elements, so it should have been a yellow card. However, VAR cannot intervene to issue a yellow card."

"If everyone missed the incident and Foden also went unpunished, then VAR could intervene to check whether Foden deserved a red card while also noting that Bruno's action should have warranted a caution. But since the referee already issued the red to Foden, VAR cannot handle it that way."

Sky Sports reporter Laura Hunter said: The review process for this incident was chaotic, but what's most concerning is how Bruno Fernandes' action was assessed. VAR head official Matt Donohue was distracted by a previous incident while handling real-time decisions.

His VAR assistant first raised the issue that Foden might have kicked. Michael Oliver's quick on-field decision to dismiss Foden became crucial to the entire decision. Oliver made the call swiftly, showing confidence in his judgment, so VAR allowed it to stand. It's worth noting that the threshold for VAR intervention on subjective decisions was intentionally raised to prevent VAR from overruling referees repeatedly. This remains controversial, but in my view, less VAR intervention is preferable.

Considering Oliver's viewing angle and the contact between Foden and Bruno Fernandes, most would accept that dismissing Foden isn't a "clear and obvious error." As for whether the action met the "violent conduct" standard, there's certainly room for interpretation.

However, the VAR control room failed to identify the incident that provoked Foden's reaction. Why wasn't this examined more thoroughly?

When discussing Bruno Fernandes' involvement, Donohue said: "I'm absolutely certain he didn't do anything." Yet in reality, the United captain fouled first, and Foden's kick was retaliation for being fouled and kicked.

Bruno Fernandes receiving no punishment for the same action that led to Foden's red card is clearly a major oversight. In my view, both should face equal sanctions, especially since Oliver's positioning meant he clearly didn't see the initial contact and made no mention of it on the pitch.

VAR's job is to alert the referee. Isn't that what the pitchside monitor is for?

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