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‘Very surprised’ – Man City v Leeds United flashpoint emerges as referee’s talking point

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There was no doubt that Liam Cooper would be sent off when his challenge on his Gabriel Jesus was reviewed by VAR during Leeds United’s 2-1 win at Manchester City on Saturday afternoon.

That’s according to former Premier League referee Keith Hackett, who says he was surprised on-field referee Andre Marriner did not immediately send the Leeds defender off when he made the challenge.

Just minutes after Stuart Dallas had given Leeds the lead at The Etihad, Marcelo Bielsa’s side were reduced to ten men, after Cooper went in with a high foot on City attacker Jesus on the stroke of half time.

The Leeds captain has initially been shown a yellow card by Marriner, only for the punishment to be upgraded to a red after the referee had reviewed the incident at the VAR monitor.

Now however, it seems as though Hackett was expecting Cooper to be given his marching orders as soon as he made the challenge.

Speaking to MOT Leeds News about the incident, the former top-flight referee said: “I was very surprised when I first saw this, and I was watching the game, that referee Marriner gave a yellow because it fulfilled all the requirements of a serious foul play challenge.

“Liam Cooper was off the ground, there was intensity and malice in the challenge and there was no other result.

“You knew when VAR came he was going. I thought it was a straightforward red card, no question, no doubt about it.”

Explaining why Cooper was sent off, but Sheffield United’s George Baldock was not for his challenge on Leeds’ Tyler Roberts the week before, Hackett claimed: “Baldock slipped into the challenge last week.

“When a player launches with two feet off the ground he can’t change direction, stop, slow down, he just follows through.

“It’s almost like he’s taken aim and got his man. I think the Baldock challenge was a slip and an accident.”

As soon as the challenge by Cooper was reviewed by VAR, you knew that the defender was in trouble.

It is not often you see a referee advised to check the pitchside monitor by VAR, and a decision not get overturned, so things did not bode well for Cooper from that moment.

Given the nature of the challenge, you can understand why the decision to dismiss Cooper was reached, with his foot in a dangerous position given the height it was at when he made the challenge.

However, it cannot be denied that Baldock’s challenge on Roberts the week before was equally dangerous and certainly seemed to warrant a red card, and it is that apparent lack of consistency that will be as frustrating as anything else for people watching those two incidents unfold in my opinion.

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UCLan Sports Journalism graduate. Have been working for Leeds All Over since summer 2020, and can only be found writing on Football League World.