![\"Diogo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1_image-21.png\")
<\/p>\nManchester United may have been fortunate to avoid an early red card in their derby clash with Manchester City, after Diogo Dalot’s high challenge on Jeremy Doku in the opening 10 minutes<\/p>\n
Luke Thrower Trends Writer<\/p>\n
18:29, 20 Jan 2026<\/p>\n
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Diogo Dalot avoided a red card during Manchester United’s win over Manchester City(Image: )<\/p>\n
PGMOL chief Howard Webb remains unsure if Diogo Dalot’s<\/a> challenge on Jeremy Doku<\/a> had enough force to warrant a red card in the Manchester derby, but believes VAR applied the correct process to reach the decision not to send the defender off.<\/p>\n It came just 10 minutes into the clash between Manchester United<\/a> and Manchester City<\/a>, when the Portuguese international’s tackle saw his boot land high on the leg of his counterpart.<\/p>\n The on-pitch decision by referee Anthony Taylor was that of a foul, but with the belief that it only warranted a yellow card, rather than a straight red for serious foul play.<\/p>\n VAR checked the challenge and came to the conclusion that the tackle wasn’t worthy of a red card, with the audio confirming the thought process behind that call.<\/p>\n Match Officials Mic’d Up showed insight into the audio, as Taylor said: “I’m going yellow card, it’s a glance.” before the VAR, Craig Pawson responded: “Yeah, he does, he’s glancing contact on the knee.<\/p>\n FOLLOW OUR MAN UNITED FB PAGE! Latest news and analysis via the MEN\u2019s Manchester United Facebook page<\/a><\/p>\n “There’s no force, but there is glancing contact. He’s tried to play the ball, and he catches it with glancing contact. Glancing contact, there’s no force. He’s tried to play the ball, he flicks, he misses the ball, he catches him with a follow-through. I’m happy to confirm the on-field decision.”<\/p>\n Discussions followed between Pawson and his assistant, Adrian Holmes, about the speed of the contact, but they ultimately decided to stick with the on-field decision.<\/p>\n Pawson confirmed: “Yeah. Tayls [Anthony Taylor] confirming the yellow card for Manchester United 2 [Diogo Dalot]. He tries to play the ball, he misses it, and then he makes glancing contact onto the knee. There’s no force or intensity, but he does catch him with a follow-through.”<\/p>\n Howard Webb on Match Officials Mic’d Up(Image: Sky Sports)<\/p>\n It was a process that Webb believes is the right one, as he said on Match Officials Mic’d Up: “Is there excessive force? Some will say, yes. I’m not quite there, but I can see that there could be.<\/p>\n “It’s a subjective judgment\u2026but I’m absolutely aligned that once that decision is taken on the field, we leave it as referee’s call and we don’t intervene with the VAR.”<\/p>\n He continued: “I think it’s one where the referee’s call should stand on the field. That’s what we’ve said we’ll do where there’s a mix of considerations.<\/p>\n “I think there is a mix, and therefore in this situation, it was right to leave it as the referee’s call. If a red had been given, I would have expected the red card to stand as well, in the same way.”<\/p>\n It was a moment in the match that certainly changed things, as Man United went on to cause chaos over Man City<\/a>, picking up a 2-0 victory that could’ve ended with more goals in their favour.<\/p>\n Content cannot be displayed without consent<\/p>\n![\"Howard](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_howard-webb-diogo-jota.png\")
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