Referee Jon Moss hit the headlines a couple of weeks ago for having the temerity to imprint his name upon the Leicester City story by sending Jamie Vardy off and giving a couple of penalties against West Ham.
There has been a feeling that referees have become enraptured in the enveloping Leicester story, most notably when Danny Simpson was not penalised for a clear handball in the penalty area against Southampton, a decision which led Ronald Koeman to question whether the referee knew the rules.
Leicester - despite having a man sent off- seemed to be the recipient of another close call at Old Trafford from referee Michael Oliver. Danny Drinkwater was sent off for a second yellow for hauling down Memphis Depay, but the foul appeared to take place inside the penalty area. Instead, the referee gave a free-kick. Replays suggested that the foul was slightly inside the penalty area:
While Drinkwater saw red for the first time in his career, it could have been far worse, and Leicester clung on for a valuable point.
RED CARD! Drinkwater sent off for hauling down Memphis but a free kick is given. Should have been a penalty kick. Oliver got that wrong.
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) May 1, 2016
#Leicester down to 10 men. Second yellow card for former #ManUtd product Danny Drinkwater, and he's lucky he didn't concede a penalty there.
— justin (@JustinOngS) May 1, 2016
The result means that Leicester are not yet Premier League champions, but will be by tomorrow night should Spurs fail to beat Chelsea.
Drinkwater may yet be hit with a Vardy-style extended ban if this proves to be correct:
Danny Drinkwater has called Michael Oliver a "cunt" up in his face. We'll find out whether it was the "fucking" part that cost Jamie Vardy.
— Daniel Storey (@danielstorey85) May 1, 2016
Old Trafford was the scene for Claudio Ranieri's first game in charge of Chelsea, and today it became the scene of what could be his most enduring. United, however, had not seen an opposition side win the league at Old Trafford since Arsenal in 2002, and the prospect of Leicester City doing so stoked the defiance of yore at Old Trafford. United started brilliantly and relentlessly and took the lead through United's only successful summer signing:
Anthony Martial: Has directly contributed to 3 goals in his last 2 apps after scoring in just 1 of his previous 6 #MUNLEI
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) May 1, 2016
United, however, are still bound to present failings, as Marcus Rojo lost Wes Morgan from a free-kick for an extremely soft equaliser:
Rojo there, just taking in the Leicester story.
— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) May 1, 2016
Whilst United may have had a penalty, they were fortunate that Marouane Fellaini was not sent off for a trademark elbow into the face of Robert Huth.
A draw was ultimately a good result for Leicester, as Drinkwater's dismissal ensured the champagne was put on ice, however fortuitously.
