Manchester United have been handed a £20,000 fine after their players surrounded referee Peter Bankes to lobby for a red card for Lewis Dunk during their Premier League clash with Brighton last week. The Red Devils won the match 2-0.
Man Utd have been punished by the FA after stars surrounded the referee against Brighton (Image: GETTY)
Bankes initially brandished a yellow card for the foul but upgraded it to a red following intervention from VAR.
United accepted their punishment, which was dished out on Tuesday, and admitted they “failed to ensure players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion.”
Following Dunk’s dismissal, Brighton manager Graham Potter claimed his side had been hard done by.
“It was a yellow card live, [Adam] Webster was there on the cover,” Potter said after the match.
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“It’s not clear and obvious that he wouldn’t get there. I don’t understand the intervention.
“I’d like to see some stats because as soon as the referee goes to the monitor it is only going to go one way, and that’s how it is.”
But Potter insisted the United players weren’t to blame for the sending off.
“I don’t blame them,” Potter added. “I’m not being critical, it is what it is. You expect that reaction - they have got to do their bit for their team.
Manchester United's record signings (Image: EXPRESS)
“Then you need the referee and VAR to make calls independent of external pressure, which isn’t easy.
“We were the better team first half. But we don’t start the second half well enough and we get punished by a world-class finish from a world-class player and then a controversial red card.”
United’s victory against Brighton ended a run of three games without a win for Ralf Rangnick’s side.
The 13-times Premier League champions had previously been held to back-to-back 1-1 draws by Burnley and Southampton after being knocked out of the FA Cup by Middlesbrough at the start of February.
And the Red Devils then backed-up their victory by claiming another three points against Leeds United at the weekend.