Here’s why Bruno Guimaraes escaped three-game Newcastle United ban
Former Premier League referee Mike Dean believes Darren England was correct not to send Bruno Guimaraes off against Leicester City.
Toon fans feared the worst when the Brazilian lunged towards Stephy Mavididi in the first half. However, VAR decided not to intervene and England showed Guimaraes a yellow card.
Earlier in the game, the midfielder pleaded for a penalty but the ref waved away his protests. Replays showed minimal contact and Leicester claimed Guimaraes should have been cooked for simulation.
The official pointed for a goal kick but, had Guimaraes been booked, his eventual yellow would have resulted in a red. To make matters worse for Leicester, the 27-year-old netted shortly after half-time to double Newcastle’s lead.
A resounding 4-0 victory got the Magpies back on track but the result could have fared worse had Guimaraes been dismissed. But former referee Dean agreed with England’s decision to caution the midfielder.
“I think with the first one with Bruno when he went down in the area the referee’s gone option three and just gave a goal kick,” he told Sky Sports. “He hasn’t cautioned him for simulation or given the free kick.
“The second one, if you go back to what they said last week with the Caicedo challenge, it kind of brushed his shin and went down. So I can understand again why he hasn’t sent him off.”
Gary Lineker, a Leicester fan, called Guimaraes “lucky” for staying on the pitch. He said on Match of the Day: “He was very lucky because he should have got two yellows. The first was a dive, he’s gone down early and I’m not sure why he doesn’t get booked for that unless the referee is saying it was maybe handball.
“I’m not sure but that’s a yellow card and he didn’t pick it up. He did get a yellow card a minute later for a tackle which was a little bit nasty. He’s gone over the top of the ball, and then he’s off. He actually pops up with a goal not long after that. I do think he’s a very lucky boy, Bruno.”