One of the biggest controversies from Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-1 draw against Manchester United was Rodrigo Bentancur’s 78th-minute red card, which came just five minutes after Bryan Mbeumo had given United the lead.
The Uruguayan midfielder had been involved in a couple of strong challenges before Luke Shaw pushed him to the ground. Bentancur quickly got back to his feet and confronted the Manchester United defender, moving his head towards him.
Shaw subsequently went down, prompting referee Stuart Attwell to show Bentancur a straight red card. The decision sparked frustration among Tottenham players, who felt the punishment was harsh.
Graham Roberts Wants Howard Webb to Apologise to Tottenham
Former Tottenham defender Graham Roberts has called on Howard Webb, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) chief, to apologise to Spurs over the controversial decision.
The Tottenham legend questioned why Bentancur was dismissed while Shaw escaped punishment, despite appearing to raise his hands towards the midfielder’s body and face.
Roberts expressed his frustration on X, writing:
“I hope Howard Webb comes out and apologises to Tottenham regarding the referee and explains why he never sent Luke Shaw off. If you lift your hands to someone’s body and face, that is a red card by the law. But he will hide and say nothing. Bentancur should have stayed down but Stuart Attwell is always against us every time we have him.”
De Zerbi Thanks Bentancur Despite His Mistake
Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi revealed that he embraced Bentancur after the final whistle and thanked him for the reaction that helped spark a change in his team’s performance.
Although the Italian acknowledged that the midfielder’s behaviour was unacceptable, he explained that playing with ten men appeared to bring greater determination, energy and courage to Spurs.
Tottenham eventually secured a stoppage-time equaliser, rescuing a point after falling behind at Old Trafford.
Speaking after the match, De Zerbi said:
“I kissed Rodrigo, and I said thanks, because it’s clear it’s a mistake from Rodrigo, because it’s not the right reaction in football, but now Tottenham needs to react.”
The Spurs manager explained that his players displayed a different mentality after the dismissal, suggesting the setback helped bring out a fighting spirit that had been missing from their performances.
He added that Tottenham needed to combine their technical quality with determination, courage and the right attitude if they wanted to start winning matches consistently.
De Zerbi made it clear that he wants to see that level of character from his players in every game, believing it will be crucial to improving Tottenham’s results and scoring more goals.
