Lisandro Martinez has addressed Manchester United fans on social media following the furore surrounding his dubious challenge on Cole Palmer in the Red Devils' 1-1 draw with Chelsea.
Martinez earned his fourth yellow card of the season after what was deemed a hazardous attempt to dispossess Palmer, earning him a booking even after a VAR review.
The system determined the manoeuvre to be rash but stopped short of escalating it to a red card offence for endangering the opponent.
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The Blues' supporters were incensed by the leniency of the decision, arguing that the offence merited a harsher penalty. Affected by the foul, Palmer was subsequently seen nursing his knee with ice.
Ahead of definitive medical updates, Chelsea's head coach Enzo Maresca was optimistic regarding Palmer's condition, revealing: "He was there in the changing room with ice. We are waiting now. Hopefully, it's nothing important [serious]."
In the wake of the event, Martinez turned to Instagram, posting an exultant snapshot with teammates and wording his commitment as: "Keep working and keep trying until the end, always as a team," punctuated with a bicep emoji.
Ex-Premier League official Dermot Gallagher weighed in on the controversy during Sky Sports' Ref Watch, claiming that Martinez narrowly dodged a more severe punishment. "I think he's lucky," Gallagher expressed.
"His starting position is close to Palmer, if he makes that challenge, comes in from distance, speed and intensity that's when he'll be in trouble.
"Because he's so close to him, he doesn't generate that force. It's fleeting contact. Because it's such a short distance, then he doesn't generate that intensity."
The clash at Old Trafford concluded with United moving up to 13th place in the Premier League table. Bruno Fernandes netted the first goal from the penalty spot, only for Moises Caicedo to equalise four minutes later.
