Man United sent new Marcus Rashford red card verdict as Premier League told mistake made

Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford should have been shown a second yellow card against Aston Villa at the weekend, but there would have been question marks over his first booking if he had been sent off, according to former Premier League referee Mark Halsey.

Rashford was shown his first yellow card just before the hour mark for a foul on Villa full-back Matty Cash. Just two minutes later, he was pulled up for tripping Leon Bailey close to the United penalty box.

After giving the foul, referee Rob Jones ignored calls from the home supporters and didn’t show a second yellow to Rashford. The United forward was then substituted by Erik ten Hag and was replaced by Antony.

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The decision not to award a second yellow and therefore a red to Rashford is one that has been debated over the last few days. Many pundits and neutral fans believe that he was lucky not to be sent off, but while Halsey believes that he should have been shown a second yellow, he’s debated the first caution received by the United man.

“I thought Rob Jones is having a very good season, I thought he got the two cautions the wrong way round,” he told the Sun’s The Whistle Blower. “I didn’t think the first one was a caution, it was a careless challenge.

“The second one was a definite caution. So has he already been cautioned, Rashford, he should have gone for a second yellow card? Absolutely.”

Halsey’s verdict is different to that of another former referee Dermot Gallagher. Speaking to Sky Sports’ ref watch, he defended the referee’s decision not