Should Mata Have Seen Red?

Juan Mata's 49th-minute strike sealed Manchester United's much-needed victory at Leicester - but should he have been on the pitch?

The Spaniard rounded off a fine United move to notch their third goal at the King Power Stadium on Sunday, sealing a Premier League win which saw them move to within a point of Liverpool and two behind Arsenal in fourth.

Things could well have been different though, had referee Anthony Taylor viewed Mata's robust first-half challenge on Jamie Vardy differently.

With the game goalless after an uneventful opening 28 minutes, Mata, in an attempt to regain possession after giving the ball away cheaply, caught the Leicester striker high on his ankle with a late tackle.

Mata pleaded his innocence after the game but admitted he may have been lucky only to receive a booking.

"I was late. I tried to reach the ball, I didn't want to hurt Jamie," he told Sky Sports.

"In any case, I was obviously late and probably a bit lucky. My only intention was to get the ball because I lost it 10 seconds before."

Credit: Skysports.com