Manchester United fans have been left raging after Dominic Calvert-Lewin escaped a red card after appearing to pull Marc Cucurella’s hair in the FA Cup semi-final weeks after Lisandro Martinez was sent off for the same thing
15:44, 26 Apr 2026Updated 16:00, 26 Apr 2026
Dominic Calvert-Lewin was not punished for grabbing Marc Cucurella’s hair
Manchester United fans have been left furious after Dominic Calvert-Lewin escaped a red card for pulling Marc Cucurella’s hair in the FA Cup semi-final.
The Wembley occasion between Chelsea and Leeds United saw its first controversial moment midway through the first-half when Calvert-Lewin tangled with Cucurella with the Blues 1-0 up thanks to Enzo Fernandez’s 23rd minute header.
A long ball forward by Leeds aimed towards Calvert-Lewin failed to reach the big England international, but as Cucurella ran inside the Leeds striker, Calvert-Lewin appeared to put his hand in the Spaniard’s hair.
Marc Cucurella went to ground after the contact
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Cucurella then fell to the floor holding his head as play continued. Jarred Gillett missed the incident, as did the linesman on the near side.
However, the incident was reviewed by VAR, with the game stopped as Calvert-Lewin nervously appealed his innocence. Despite hair pulling being the topic of red card controversy after Lisandro Martinez was sent off for holding Calvert-Lewin’s hair during United’s 2-1 defeat to Leeds a couple weeks ago, the same punishment was not given to the Leeds forward for the same offence.
Martinez received a three-game ban for violent conduct. A decision United appealed but was dismissed after the FA disciplinary panel said hair pulling “ought not to be tolerated”.
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United fans were furious with the decision. One user fumed: “Two weeks ago Lisandro Martinez was given red card for touching Calvert Lewin’s hair. Today he did exactly same thing to cucurella and wasn’t book because he’s not Manchester United player.”
A second moaned: “Calvert-Lewin just pulled Cucurella’s hair and he didn’t receive a Red. Lisandro Martinez got a Red card in Man United game against Leeds for similar offenses. Where is the consistency?”
Lisandro Martinez was sent off for grabbing Calvert-Lewin’s hair(Image: Sky Sports)
While a third raged: “Not too long ago Lisandro Martinez was RED CARDED; for pulling Calvert-Lewin’s hair in a Leeds United vs Manchester United PL game. Fast forward Calvert-Lewin pulls Marc Cucurella’s hair in a crucial FA Cup semifinal game, and nothing happens to him. PGMOL is a JOKE.”
Following United’s appeal, the written report from the panel said it accepted other forms of violent conduct “carry a much higher risk of harm to an opponent”.
But it stressed: “In the wider interests of football ‘hair pulling’ ought not to be tolerated and should be discouraged through consistent punishment.”
Michael Carrick called the decision “one of the worst” he has seen as United went on to fall to a first Old Trafford defeat under the caretaker boss.
