Premier League panel rules Manchester City escaped two red cards
The Premier League’s key match incidents panel has confirmed that Manchester City avoided two deserved red cards this season after referee Rob Jones failed to issue second bookings.
The reigning champions have recently moved to the top of the table after overhauling Arsenal during a tense title run-in.
However, confirmation of these officiating errors will likely frustrate supporters in north London.
Mikel Arteta’s side had controlled the title race for much of the campaign before dropping crucial points in April.
Officiating errors exposed
The independent panel concluded that referee Jones incorrectly opted against showing a second yellow card on five separate occasions this term.
Two of those reprieves directly benefited Pep Guardiola’s side during pivotal league fixtures.
Portuguese defender Ruben Dias was deemed fortunate to escape a sending off against Nottingham Forest.
Similarly, influential midfielder Rodri avoided his marching orders during a high-profile clash with Tottenham Hotspur.
Title race impact
The Manchester club went on to secure a narrow victory against Forest at the City Ground.
The defending champions also rescued a draw against Spurs after initially surrendering a two-goal advantage.
In total, the panel identified 12 instances across the division where a second caution was wrongly withheld.
Details regarding the remaining unpunished offences have not yet been disclosed by the authorities.
