Michael Carrick fumes at ‘absolutely shocking’ Lisandro Martinez dismissal

Michael Carrick described the second-half dismissal of Lisandro Martinez as “absolutely shocking” after his side’s Champions League push was checked by a 2-1 home defeat to Roses rivals Leeds.

Noah Okafor struck twice inside the opening 30 minutes to spark wild scenes among Leeds’ travelling fans before Martinez was sent off 11 minutes into the second period after a VAR intervention for tugging on Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair.

United’s 10 men rallied after the break and pulled one back through Casemiro’s 59th-minute header, but Leeds held on for their first league win at Old Trafford in 45 years.

Carrick was furious that referee Paul Tierney was asked to view the pitchside monitor before showing Martinez a red card.

United’s interim head coach said: “He goes to grab his shirt and ends up touching his hair and the bobble comes out and you end up getting a red card for it.

“It’s not aggressive, there’s no jolt, there’s no tug, no sudden movement. He kind of touches it and glances through it.

“We’ve got to be careful where the game’s going if we’re giving red cards for that.

“Two arms in the face for their first goal and that’s deemed alright. It’s a shocking decision, an absolutely shocking decision.”

United lost at home for the first time under Carrick after five straight wins and he also felt Okafor’s opening goal should have been disallowed for Calvert-Lewin’s challenge on Leny Yoro in the build-up.

Carrick added: “I have to say, the goal itself, Leny Yoro gets a forearm smash on the back of the head, which is worth looking at again.

“I don’t know how that doesn’t get overturned. What are we getting sending-offs for? It’s a clear forearm smash on the back of his head.”

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