Roy Keane: Bruno Fernandes Was the Aggressor in Phil Foden Incident

Bruno Fernandes was the “aggressor” in the clash that led to Phil Foden’s sending off for striking an opponent in Sunday’s Manchester derby, according to former Manchester United captain Roy Keane.

Tensions flared in the match after a confrontation between the two midfielders midway through the first half, which saw Foden receive a straight red card from referee Michael Oliver. After being brought down following a challenge, Foden was kicked in the back by the Manchester United captain, provoking an angry reaction from the English star. He retaliated by swinging both his legs towards Fernandes’ midsection.

Foden was visibly stunned by the decision before eventually leaving the pitch after the incident was reviewed and confirmed by VAR.

However, the incident sparked mixed opinions online, given Fernandes’ actions. Analyzing the match for Sky Sports, Keane suggested the Portuguese midfielder was fortunate to avoid punishment and spoke in Foden’s defense.

“Foden gets up and obviously reacts, for which he’s sent off. The strange thing is, if you look at the situation, Bruno fouls him, commits a foul, and lightly kicks him. Foden is sent off, and I suppose that’s classified as aggressive behavior,” Keane stated.

“For me, Bruno is the one showing aggression here. I have to say it. A few years ago, I criticized Kyle Walker when he went down after a headbutt. Look, I suppose we see violence differently. But I don’t think that’s a red card for Foden,” he added.