Every Manchester Derby Red Card in the Premier League

· GiveMeSport

Phil Foden joined Cristiano Ronaldo and Roy Keane on the list of players to receive a red card in Premier League derbies between Man City and Man Utd

Manchester derbies have always carried a particular charge, but the flashpoint in their most recent derby, Phil Foden's dismissal after a touchline kick-out at Bruno Fernandes , felt like a reminder of how fiery this rivalry can sometimes become.

Foden's lash-out, punished with a straight red , made him the ninth player sent off in a Premier League meeting between Manchester United and Manchester City . It also snapped a near decade-long run without a dismissal in the fixture, whilst the sending-off was the first for a Manchester City player in the fixture in 20 years.

Across three decades of Premier League battles, these red cards have shaped matches, seasons and reputations. Some were moments of hot-blooded indiscipline, others tactical fouls gone wrong, and a few are still up for debate. Here all nine Premier League Manchester Derby red cards.

The most recent sending-off came recently, with Phil Foden being sent off very early in the fixture at Old Trafford.

With the game still goalless in the 23rd minute, a skirmish on the touchline with Bruno Fernandes escalated when Foden was judged to have kicked out at the Portuguese midfielder, earning a straight red card for violent conduct. Although replays showed Fernandes had potentially flicked a boot at him first, VAR didn't intervene, leaving City furious and also a man down.

What followed was a resilient display from Manchester City, who still took control of the game despite the disadvantage they faced, with Erling Haaland striking in the second half to secure a 1-0 win for the Citizens. Luckily for Foden, his dismissal didn't derail City's day, but it did create some controversy around the officials, which only had more fuel added to the fire when Pro Ref released a statement explaining they made an 'error of judgment' over Haaland's winning goal.

Marouane Fellaini didn't produce many memorable moments in a Manchester United shirt, but he was sent off in a Manchester derby after a loss of temper at the Etihad.

It was a tense, defensively disciplined display from José Mourinho's United side, but it was made all the more difficult when Fellaini came together with Sergio Agüero, headbutting the striker in full view of referee Martin Atkinson. The dismissal was immediate and undisputed.

United were left to cling on for a 0-0 draw at the Etihad, with Fellaini's sending-off overshadowing an otherwise disciplined performance from the Red Devils.

Chris Smalling endured a nightmare derby at the Etihad in 2014, receiving two yellow cards before halftime. His first came for impeding Joe Hart as the goalkeeper attempted a clearance; the second followed a rash, mistimed lunge on James Milner.

Reduced to 10 men, United were overrun by Manchester City, losing 1-0, but fortunately the scoreline wasn't heavy. Smalling's dismissal was widely criticised as naive, especially given Louis Van Gaal's emphasis on discipline. It remains one of the clearest examples of a derby where emotions can sometimes cloud a player's judgment.

Evans' red card arrived in the infamous 6-1 derby at Old Trafford. With United already wobbling, he hauled down Mario Balotelli as the striker burst through on goal, denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.

The straight red deepened United's collapse, leaving them exposed to City's relentless counter-attacks. It turned the fixture into an embarrassing thrashing, and even though the foul was seen as a professional foul rather than an act of aggression, its impact on the scoreline was devastating.

Cristiano Ronaldo's derby dismissal in 2008 was the second time he had been sent off in the fixture, although this one was much more debatable and confusing than others on this list.

With the Portuguese winger already on a yellow card, his second was awarded after he handled the ball from a United corner kick. Ronaldo pleaded that he thought he had already heard the referee whistle, which is why he tried to catch the ball from the corner, but his explanation was too late and didn't help his case, as he was sent off.

Luckily for Ronaldo, however, the red card didn't have an impact on his team's result, as Alex Ferguson's side were able to see out a 1-0 win at the Etihad.

Up until Foden's red card in the 2026 fixture, Bernardo Corradi was the last Manchester City player to be sent off in a Manchester derby. His sending-off came in a 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford, after receiving two yellow cards. His first booking came early on in the game, but his second was comical and compounded the misery on a disappointing derby day for City, as he was sent off for a clear dive.

His sending off allowed United to control the game with ease, exposing Manchester City's gaps, and remained as City's last red card in the fixture for 20 years.

Ronaldo's first derby red card came at the Etihad in a match defined by rising frustration. After receiving a fair share of strong but unpunished tackles from Manchester City players, Ronaldo lashed out in the 66th minute, lunging into a late challenge on Andy Cole , and even though he didn't make contact, it was enough to earn the Portuguese star a second yellow and an early bath.

Although this sending off was a lot less of a debate than his second dismissal in 2008, it reflected a much younger Ronaldo who was still learning to channel his competitive fire productively.

Alan Smith's red card arrived in a fractious derby at Old Trafford, where his combative style tipped over the edge. The game itself was fairly even, with the tie ending in 0-0.

With neither side able to break the deadlock or dominate the game, Smith was able to keep control of himself in the closing minutes of the tie, as he received a second yellow for a late challenge.

United were forced to finish the tie with ten men, as it remained goalless.

The first sending-off in a Manchester Premier League derby went to none other than Roy Keane. Who else could it have been?

His dismissal in the 2001 derby remains one of the most infamous moments in Premier League history. He launched into a late, forceful challenge on Alf-Inge Haaland, a collision that had long been brewing.

The two players had previous bad blood between them, when Alf-Inge Haaland (playing for Leeds at the time) stood over Keane in a 1997 fixture between Manchester United and Leeds, accusing the midfielder of faking an ACL injury.

The challenge from Keane in 2001 was blatant and an obvious retaliation , and in addition to earning himself a straight red card, he later received a further five-game ban and fine when he admitted the challenge was a premeditated act of revenge in an autobiography.

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