Premier League explains why Martínez wasn't shown a red card for kneeing Palmer

In the Manchester United vs. Chelsea match, referee Robert Jones handed out eight yellow cards, but one incident could have easily warranted a red.

Details: In stoppage time of the second half, United defender Lisandro Martínez committed a harsh foul on Chelsea forward Cole Palmer. The home player missed the ball entirely and struck his opponent’s knee, leaving Palmer unable to get up right away.

The referee initially let play continue, as Chelsea retained possession. However, a few seconds later, Jones halted the game to call the foul and issued Martínez a yellow card.

Play was briefly paused as the VAR team reviewed the incident for a potential red card, considering the risk of serious injury, which was a primary argument for stricter punishment.

However, as the Premier League explained, it was deemed an unintentional strike rather than serious foul play.

Statement: “The referee issued a yellow card to Martinez for a challenge on Palmer. VAR checked for a potential red card and confirmed the referee’s call of no red card, deeming that it was a reckless challenge and not serious foul play,” stated the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), as cited by the Premier League Match Centre.

Recap: The match between Manchester United and Chelsea ended in a 1-1 draw. Both goals came after the break: Bruno Fernandes scored a penalty, and Moisés Caicedo later found the net for Chelsea.

Notably, this yellow card was Martínez's fifth of the season and his fourth in the Premier League.