Photo via BBC Sport

Foden dismissed in derby - but did he deserve it?

Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden was ejected just 23 minutes into the Manchester derby at Old Trafford following a flashpoint with Bruno Fernandes. The twenty-six-year-old was tripped deep in his own territory on the right flank and reacted from the turf by aiming a kick into the Portuguese playmaker, who had seemingly kicked him in the back moments earlier.

Match referee Michael Oliver instantly brandished an unprompted red card, an ejection verified upon review by the video assistant referee, while Fernandes escaped without a card of any kind.

Foden's direct dismissal makes him only the second City competitor ever sent off across the history of Premier League encounters with Manchester United, joining Bernardo Corradi from their December 2006 meeting. The contentious flashpoint swiftly polarized observers, with pundits Wayne Rooney and Roy Keane arguing against the severity of the sanction, while Danny Murphy and Paul Robinson maintained the retaliatory strike warranted an immediate dismissal.