Manchester United's Marouane Fellaini has opted for an excuse more suited to a battered spouse than a professional sportsman, when he claimed that Man City's Pablo Zabaleta bounced his jaw against his elbow during United's 3-0 derby defeat on Tuesday.
Pundits and spectators were almost unanimous in feeling that the clash should have resulted in a red card for the Belgian. Graeme Souness , himself no stranger to a bit of excessive contact, asked "what (do) you have to do these days" to see red, while Paul Scholes was moved to admit that it was a "proper bang".
When asked if he was lucky to escape with a yellow, Fellaini replied: "I don't know, but I certainly didn't do it on purpose. I put my arm up to try and protect possession of the ball, and Zabaleta bounced against it. He was unlucky to make contact."
"The movement by me was not in an aggressive manner. It was a defensive move to protect the ball."
Judge for yourself:
