Tottenham captain Cristian Romero received a red card for a reckless tackle on Manchester United‘s Casemiro.
Tottenham Hotspur lost 2-0 to Manchester United, marking another failure to win in the Premier League. Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes scored the goals, helping United break an eight-game winless streak against Spurs.
The focus of the discussion surrounding Tottenham’s loss is Cristian Romero. After recovering from an illness that led to his substitution during the 2-2 match against Manchester City, the Argentina international started against Manchester United. He made a serious foul on Casemiro in the 29th minute and was promptly sent off by referee Michael Oliver.
The game shifted significantly following the red card, and just nine minutes later, Manchester United capitalized on their numerical advantage. Mbeumo scored from a corner that involved Fernandes and Mainoo. In the 81st minute, after Tottenham changed their strategy to seek an equalizer, Fernandes secured the win with a goal from Diogo Dalot’s cross.
Thomas Frank mentions Romero’s apology to teammates
Cristian Romero’s reckless actions have impacted his team in crucial moments, as seen again in this match. The World Cup winner’s foul on Casemiro led to his second red card of the season; his first was from receiving two yellow cards in a home loss to Liverpool in December.
After the match, Spurs manager Thomas Frank spoke about Romero’s response in the locker room. He defended Romero’s character and stated that the defender accepted full responsibility for his actions.
“Cristian did not mean to follow through and get a red card. He clearly was going for the ball, but the rules apply, and it results in a red. Cristian apologized to his teammates in the dressing room,” Frank told TNR Sports (h/t BBC Sport).
Romero’s actions affect the team
This incident comes on the heels of Romero publicly criticizing the club’s squad depth on social media, which he called “unacceptable.” His latest mistake leaves him with a four-match suspension, severely impacting Tottenham’s lineup.
Romero will miss crucial matches against Newcastle United, Arsenal, Fulham, and Crystal Palace. He has been instrumental for Tottenham this season, often scoring late goals, but his absence will hinder the team’s chances in these upcoming fixtures. With Frank needing to secure his position at the club, this could be quite detrimental.
Supporters of Tottenham will be disappointed to see their captain sidelined for the next four games. Many were looking forward to disrupting Arsenal’s Premier League title aspirations. Romero’s absence during the North London derby on February 22 may provide a significant advantage to Arsenal in the title race.