Is pantomime villain Bruno Fernandes putting fans off football? Michael Owen delivers alarming warning after watching ‘histrionics’ of Man Utd captain on derby day
Foden sent off for kicking out at Fernandes
There were less than 23 minutes on the clock of a passionate meeting between two arch enemies when the first major flashpoint of said contest took place. City playmaker Foden thought he had been bundled over by the Red Devils’ skipper near the touchline.
Fernandes refused to give the ball up and appeared to catch his opponent with a scuffed kick across the turf. Unsurprisingly, Foden did not take kindly to the attention that he was receiving, after crumpling to the floor, and thrust his foot upwards.
That stray boot caught Fernandes in the midriff, leading to him taking a theatrical tumble of his own. Referee Michael Oliver marched over and flashed a red card in the direction of City’s home-grown No.47. Foden was left dumbfounded, but was forced to trudge down the tunnel after a VAR review failed to spare his blushes. No action was taken against Fernandes.
VAR allowed controversial Haaland goal to stand
United failed to make their numerical advantage count from there, with Erling Haaland firing home what proved to be the winner on the hour. That effort was not without controversy, though, as the free-scoring Norwegian was initially flagged offside\a.
It was quickly determined that the three-time Golden Boot winner was in fact on, but Enzo Fernandez had - from beyond the last defender - flung himself at a ball that flashed past him before reaching Haaland. Those in the VAR booth determined that the Argentine midfielder had not been interfering with or trying to directly impact play. Pro Ref have since been forced to issue an apology in which they acknowledged that an “error of judgement” had taken place.
Red card drama and more inconsistency on the video assistant front ultimately diverted attention away from what is supposed to be one of the Premier League’s biggest and best spectacles - with spectators tuning in from every corner of the planet.
Owen delivers his take on Manchester derby drama
Asked for his take on events and if Fernandes has become the English top-flight’s most divisive figure, ex-United striker Owen - who now serves as Casino.org's ambassador, helping British players compare the best online casinos selected for UK players - told GOAL: “I thought it was a bad day for football, to be honest.
“We all love football. I've made a living out of the game all my life. I continue to work in football, but if you're a first-time watcher of the game and you see that, you probably turn off the telly seeing the histrionics and the goading - trying to get Phil Foden into lashing out, then the histrionics when you're not even hurt, and then you see the absolute sh*t show, for want of a better phrase, the nightmare that they've had on VAR. The two biggest instances in that game, and you're probably thinking, what's the fuss all about with football?
“It was the dark side of the game in many ways. And for such a big game, so many eyeballs around the world watching it, it's just so sad that all we're talking about, and rightly so, is two different acts, but two poor acts. I've got friends that used to love football and no longer watch it for exactly what happened. And if you're new to the game, it was not a good day for football.”
VAR making unfortunate headlines in 2026-27 season
United ended the game empty-handed, with Haaland’s strike ensuring that City made the short journey back across Manchester to their Etihad home with all three points safely wrapped up - preserving their 100 per cent start to the 2026-27 campaign in the process.
More questions will inevitably be asked of Fernandes’ behaviour - despite the enigmatic midfielder making no apologies for who and what he is - while VAR finds itself being thrust under the microscope for the umpteenth time in a season that has only been running a matter of weeks.
