Why 'lucky' Bruno Fernandes was not sent off against Liverpool

Manchester United snatched a place in the FA Cup semi-finals at the death on Sunday afternoon as Liverpool's dreams of a quadruple were dashed in an instant.

A tough pill to swallow for Reds fans, some have argued that United should've had to overcome a more than one numerical disadvantage in the comeback - believing that the hosts were lucky to still have 11 men on the pitch for much of the contest.

On a yellow card, Bruno Fernandes flew recklessly into a challenge with Dominik Szoboszlai when the score was 2-1 to Liverpool - a tackle that in the modern game often goes with a caution.

And despite awarding the foul, referee John Brooks deciding against giving Fernandes a second yellow and sending him for an early bath.

Co-commentator Lee Dixon has give his take on why and how Fernandes may have escaped a red at Old Trafford - something which kept United on a level playing-field with the Reds which was a significant factor in their late fightback.

"I am looking at the Liverpool players and they are not surrounding the ref," he said on ITV Sport.

"Szoboszlai is going to shoot and Fernandes is going down the ground, his foot has to come off the ground to block it.

"It's one of them that happens all the time and all over the pitch. But because of where we are with the game now, that will be looked at and looked at by VAR. [Fernandes is] Certainly lucky not to get a yellow.

"He's lucky not to get a yellow card, certainly not a straight red. I used to get one of them every 20 minutes playing full-back."

Citing an argument that tires on many a football fan, Dixon also insisted that if the foul was made by anyone who wasn't in the book, they would have been sure to receive a caution.

Dixon added: "If that happens anywhere else on the pitch and he hadn't been booked he would have got a yellow card.

"Absolutely 100 per cent. I think he [referee] gives him a yellow card if someone does that on the halfway line."