Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has said that he would not have given a red card to Sunderland midfielder Sebastian Larsson during the match with Manchester United.
Just before half time, with United a goal to the good, Larsson was dismissed for a late challenge on Ander Herrera, but while Gallagher has suggested that the incident was open to interpretation, he claims that the Swede should have remained on the pitch.
He told Sky Sports News: "I think the referee is of the opinion that Larsson has rolled his foot over the top of the ball and used that as a leverage to follow through to the player, but I'm not convinced.
"I don't think that it has got that speed or intensity and he hasn't gone flying through the air. I don't think he is going to seriously endanger the opponent. For me, it is a yellow card.
"What I will say is that it has really split people and you see people saying 'yes, it's red' or 'yes, it's yellow'."
Sunderland went on to lose the game at the Stadium of Light by a 3-0 scoreline.
Darren Plant
