Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden was sent off in the Manchester derby after kicking out at Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes, sparking widespread debate over whether the decision was correct. Referee Michael Oliver dismissed Foden after 23 minutes at Old Trafford following a VAR review, making him only the second City player to be sent off in a Premier League Manchester derby, after Bernardo Corradi in 2006.

Replays suggested Fernandes kicked Foden in the back first as Foden lay on the ground, prompting Foden to retaliate with a kick towards Fernandes's body, but Fernandes escaped without even a yellow card. Pundits were split: some, including Paul Robinson, called Foden's reaction "petulant" and "stupid", while others, such as Roy Keane and Wayne Rooney, argued Fernandes was the more culpable party and that a red card was harsh. BBC Sport's Dale Johnson noted that under current guidance, Fernandes's kick would likely be judged a yellow-card offence rather than violent conduct, and that VAR cannot intervene on such incidents once the red card decision itself stands.