#3 Seb Larsson’s controversial red
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Being just a goal down, Sunderland would have backed themselves to muster some sort of a comeback. But even those hopes were wiped out late in the first half when midfielder Seb Larsson was shown a straight red card by referee Craig Pawson for a high-footed tackle on Ander Herrera.
Replays showed that Larsson initially got the ball, but caught Herrera high on the shin on the follow-through, prompting the official to brandish the red card. Sunderland were a goal down and a man down. As a contest, the game was done and dusted by that decision.
It was only a matter of how many goals the Black Cats could restrict United to. David Moyes’s side can feel that they were hard done by that decision, but at least the 53-year old must be given credit for having a go at United in the closing stages, deploying substitute Fabio Borini alongside Jermain Defoe up front.
