Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic was sent off for pushing referee Chris Kavanagh in a moment of madness in their 3-1 FA Cup defeat by Manchester United.
The Cottagers led 1-0 in the 70th minute when Jadon Sancho rounded Bernd Leno and looked set to put the hosts level before Willian blocked his effort off the line with his hand.
Having initially given a corner, Kavanagh was directed to the pitchside monitor by the VAR to review for a possible penalty and red card. Before he watched the replay, Kavanagh sent off Fulham boss Marco Silva for storming towards him at the screen and shouting in dissent.
After watching the replay, Kavanagh made a beeline for Willian and, as the referee reached into his pocked for his red card, Mitrovic saw red himself, cutting across the referee’s path and pushing him to try and get his attention.
As a shocked Kavanagh then showed Mitrovic his red card, the Serbian striker continued to berate him while pushing his chest against the referee’s, forcing Kavanagh to retreat before Willian and United goalkeeper David De Gea intervened to pull him away.
Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic pushes referee Chris Kavanagh in a moment of madness
Mitrovic continued to confront the referee as he was shown a red card by Kavanagh
The Serbian striker continued to physically confront the referee after he had been sent off
Mitrovic was left furious after Willian was shown a red for a handball from Jadon Sancho’s shot
Fulham had been on top until that point, deservedly leading through Mitrovic’s goal, but after Bruno Fernandes scored the resultant penalty they soon capitulated with nine men. Marcel Sabitzer gave United the lead, with Fernandes adding a third in injury-time to set up an FA Cup semi-final against Brighton at Wembley.
Fulham boss Silva refused to admit his side imploded, saying: ‘No, no I don’t (think so). Of course in that moment I shouldn’t be sent off, of course, it is something that if you ask me if it is something that I want to let happen – of course not.
‘I have to be there, it is my place to be there of course. That moment if you ask me if I did something that I’m really happy with, I’m of course not.
‘If you ask me that it should be a red card, I have big doubts because I want to know what the referee is going to write what I said to him. Because he cannot and of course he has to write something to make him give me a red card.’
Former United midfielder Roy Keane slammed the west London side for the ‘self destruction’ that cost them the game.
‘(It was) self destruction really there with the incident particularly for the penalty, the reaction from the manager and the players,’ Keane said on ITV. ‘Obviously it’s an emotional game, we’ve all been there, but it’s just a mad 90 seconds and it’s cost them the game.
Fulham boss Marco Silva was sent off for dissent during the VAR review for Willian’s handball
Roy Keane slammed Fulham for the ‘self destruction’ that cost them the game on Sunday
Bruno Fernandes dispatched the penalty before scoring another in the closing stages
‘And Gabriel [interviewer Clarke] makes the point there, it’s not necessarily about United winning, it’s about Fulham finding a way to lose, so I’ve no sympathy for Fulham.
‘They can get one or two plaudits, they won’t be getting any from me. They had an opportunity and they blew it.’
Mitrovic could face a lengthy ban in addition to the three games in what is a blow to Fulham’s European hopes.
Former West Ham forward Paolo Di Canio was banned for 11 games for pushing a referee in similar fashion in 1998.
