Mario Lemina received a controversial second booking for Wolves yesterday against Southampton – and Manchester City’s Ruben Dias has today had a similiar experience.
City are taking on Aston Villa in the Premier League at the moment.
Towards the end of the half, Kevin De Bruyne was halted in his tracks by Douglas Luiz.
The referee, Robert Jones, awarded a free-kick, but was not about to show a yellow card.
Ilkay Gundogan and Jack Grealish both made their way over to the referee to remonstrate.
Dias, clearly feeling a yellow card should have been given, also made his way over.
In an instant, he was shown a yellow card for apparent dissent. He happened to be the third player to surround Jones.
It was a situation that mirrored yesterday’s incident involving Lemina.
Lemina was the third player to come over to referee Jarred Gillett, who then showed a yellow card. Ruben Neves said after the game that Lemina didn’t actually say anything, he was booked because he was the third player to surround the referee.
That booking resulted in Lemina being sent off, as he had already picked up a booking for a foul on Carlos Alcaraz.
It is very interesting that such a situation has happened just one day after Lemina.
It is almost as if Jones was told ahead of the game to ensure bookings are given out for those ‘third’ players.
On commentary, Gary Neville questioned the practice that seems to have come out of nowhere.
He said (Sky Sports): Surely it should be the first man. If you’re the one that’s instigated it, and then your teammates have followed in, it’s got to be the first man that gets booked not the third.
“What happens to the fourth, if there’s a fourth that attends the scene?”