Phil Foden was shown a straight red card during the Manchester derby after a dramatic incident involving Bruno Fernandes. The 26-year-old Manchester City midfielder was sent off in the first half of the Premier League match at Old Trafford, marking the first red card of his career and the first for Manchester City in this fixture since 2006. The incident occurred when Foden, who had fallen to the ground after being challenged by Fernandes near the touchline, retaliated with a kick to the Portuguese forward’s stomach while lying on the ground. The referee, Michael Oliver, immediately showed Foden a red card, a decision confirmed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. The sequence of events began when Fernandes made contact with Foden as he attempted to play the ball. Foden, already on the ground, responded by kicking out with both feet, catching Fernandes in the stomach. According to the Premier League Match Centre, the referee saw this as a "kick out into the body of Bruno," and the VAR official Matt Donohue supported the decision, stating it looked like a "clear red card" due to what he described as a "secondary movement" by Foden. Fernandes was not booked for his initial contact with Foden, an outcome that former Manchester United defender Gary Neville called a "lucky escape." Former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney expressed disagreement with the decision, stating that Foden’s action was "more of a flick or a gesture" rather than a deliberate kick. Rooney, who holds the record for most goals in Manchester United’s history, argued that the incident was not severe enough to warrant a red card. However, Gary Neville maintained that Foden’s action was clear and deserved punishment, stating, "It looks like Foden reacts. It's a kick into the stomach there. He's not going to get away with that." Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane took a different stance, accusing Fernandes of exaggerating the incident to provoke a red card. Keane argued that Fernandes was the aggressor and that Foden should not have been sent off. He said, "Fernandes catches him and gives him a little kick. I guess it's classed as violent. But Fernandes is the one who is violent here, I don't think Foden should have a red card." The incident has sparked debate among pundits and fans about the nature of the challenge and the appropriateness of the red card.