Man Utd fans have vented their anger at Diogo Dalot’s red card as Darwin Nunez escaped a similar punishment.
In the closing moments of the 0-0 draw between the two Premier League rivals on Sunday afternoon, Dalot fumed at a throw-in decision that went against him.
Dalot was sent off after two quick yellow cards for dissent
After playing the ball off Mohamed Salah, the United star gesticulated wildly to referee Michael Oliver that earned him a yellow card.
Within ten seconds, he had been shown another and was sent off for another display of dissent to reduce the Red Devils to ten men with seconds left on the clock.
But United fans were left gobsmacked that Nunez escaped a similar punishment despite his own showing of dissent.
After just 20 minutes, the striker was booked for barging into Jonny Evans without even looking at the ball.
However, he was lucky not to be shown a second yellow for booting the ball away after the whistle had been blown.
And the Uruguay international really tested the water when he sarcastically applauded the match officials.
United fans were left furious with the lack of consistency, with one saying: “Nah the ref just sent Dalot off for that after he didn’t send Nunez off for sarcastically clapping him earlier. Joke.”
Another wrote: “Absolutely awful refereeing. Nunez chats back to the ref after kicking the ball away but gets away with it. Dalot sent off. Why?”
Liverpool’s Nunez might consider himself lucky not to have been sent off for dissent
The Liverpool star had just been booked before sarcastically applauding the decision
Nunez did not receive a second yellow despite Diogo Dalot being sent off for dissent earlier
While a third put: “Nunez kicks the ball away and claps sarcastically at the linesman but he doesn’t get a double yellow for that. Dalot reacting to an obvious mistake from the ref and he’s sent off LMAO.”
This fan said: “Pretty baffling that Nunez reacted angrily after getting a yellow but wasn’t given a second yellow. Meanwhile, Dalot gets two for one sequence? The lack of consistency is what everyone is sick of.”
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And another posted: “If any of that is dissent against Dalot, how did the same not happen to Nunez for kicking the ball away and then sarcastically clapping the referee afterwards in the first half?”
PGMOL chief Howard Webb recently told referees to crack down harder on dissent after rules were enforced at the start of the season.
As the campaign went on, some had let the stricter standards slip but Webb has been keen to maintain the rules throughout the season.
Meanwhile, United did manage to cling on for a point and a clean sheet at Anfield, the first time Liverpool have not won at home this season.
It means Jurgen Klopp’s men fail to return to the top of the Premier League after Arsenal leapfrogged them earlier in the day with a win over Brighton.
It also gives Erik ten Hag some breathing space after a disastrous week that saw United lose 3-0 to Bournemouth at Old Trafford and crash out of Europe entirely.
However, the lack of attacking impetus is still a concern for the Red