Rodrigo Bentancur’s night at Old Trafford lasted barely a quarter of an hour. Introduced in place of Lucas Bergvall in the 66th minute against Manchester United, he was dismissed 12 minutes later after a clash with Luke Shaw. Bryan Mbeumo had already given the hosts the lead, so the red card made Tottenham’s search for a way back into the match considerably harder.
Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett, who once led the Professional Game Match Officials Limited, has since given his verdict on the incident. Speaking to Tottenham News, he backed referee Stuart Attwell’s decision to show a straight red for violent conduct, and he credited Attwell and VAR official Jarred Gillett with managing the situation well. In his view, the referee took his time to assess what had happened and consulted VAR before settling on the punishments.
Hackett said Bentancur earned his red card for using his head against Shaw. He added that the confrontation began when Bentancur made a reckless challenge on one of Shaw’s teammates, after which Shaw shoved the Uruguayan firmly to the floor. Shaw’s yellow card was, in Hackett’s opinion, also correct, meaning both players were punished appropriately for their part in the flare-up.
The ban means Bentancur will sit out three games: Monday’s match with Coventry, the trip to Chelsea on October 24 and the home game with Crystal Palace on October 31. There is also a risk that he will find it hard to win back a place under Roberto De Zerbi. The manager had reportedly rested him after his international duty and long travel during the break, and the red card is an unwelcome setback at an important point in the campaign.
De Zerbi has plenty of options to fill the gap, including Sandro Tonali, Bergvall, Archie Gray and Mateus Fernandes. If any of them impress while Bentancur is suspended, competition for midfield places could become even tougher for him. For now, Spurs must move on without him, and the midfielder needs to shake off the controversy and make sure it isn’t repeated.
