Much of Manchester United's gameplan against Chelsea last night revolved around kicking Eden Hazard. This is a tactic that should hang in the Tate as an artistic interpretation of the 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em,' tactic, as Mourinho spent the build-up to last season whinging that Hazard was lucky not to have his leg broken, calling for better protection from referees. Sadly for Mourinho, Michael Oliver did what Mourinho asked him to do eighteen months ago.
Ander Herrera did it once too often in the view of Michael Oliver, and was sent off. A number of United players were fortunate not to follow him, most notably Antonio Valencia, who lunged in on Hazard. Martin Keown said he was allowed off the hook as he came at him "from the side", confirming that he should have been sent off as no such rule actually exists. It's even a foul in rugby.
But Marcos Rojo, United's somehow-escapes-red-there-in-chief, did what he does best at Stamford Bridge, and somehow escaped red for a sneaky stamp on Eden Hazard.
You can watch the incident below:
Rojo Stamp on Hazard
Rojo stamp on @hazardeden10 #CHEMUN pic.twitter.com/uJ90sRgBzx
— noizeuk (@noizeuk) March 13, 2017
Bonus Rojo "stamp" #CHEMUN pic.twitter.com/kZcfBcCT2r
— noizeuk (@noizeuk) March 13, 2017
If the FA are consistent, Rojo will face a five-match ban for his transgression, as that is the punishment dished out to Tyrone Mings for stamping on Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Will the Rojo stamp on Hazard be punished in the same way?
If it is, then United will be missing a lot of first-teamers for their clash with Middlesborough on Sunday: Herrera and Ibrahimovic are already suspended, with Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martia likely to miss out through injury.
United could do without another absentee.
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