Why Romero is Banned For Four Games Instead of Three After Man Utd Red Card

What had been shaping up to be a tightly contested encounter between Manchester United and Tottenham at Old Trafford took a dramatic turn just before the interval on Saturday lunchtime, as Cristian Romero endured another miserable chapter in what has been a turbulent week for the Spurs captain. With the score finely balanced heading into the break, Romero was shown a straight red card after launching into a reckless, studs-up challenge on Casemiro, leaving referee with little choice but to dismiss him.

The sending-off compounded an already difficult spell for the Argentine defender. Just a week earlier, Romero had been forced off through illness during Tottenham’s trip to Manchester City, before making headlines off the pitch by publicly questioning the club’s hierarchy on social media over their perceived lack of ambition and investment during the January transfer window. Now, that frustration has been followed by a suspension that will see him sidelined for four matches.

Thomas Frank had taken his depleted Tottenham squad to Old Trafford hoping to halt Manchester United’s momentum, with the Red Devils arriving on the back of a three-match Premier League winning streak. Spurs were also eager to kick-start their 2026 league campaign with a first victory of the calendar year. However, Romero’s needless moment of indiscipline proved costly, and United capitalised almost immediately. Within minutes of the red card, Bryan Mbeumo broke the deadlock, converting from a well-rehearsed set-piece routine that punished Spurs’ defensive disorganisation.

That decisive 10-minute spell swung the momentum firmly in favour of Michael Carrick’s side, who went into half-time firmly in control both on the scoreboard and in terms of numerical advantage. With Tottenham reduced to ten men and already struggling for depth, the Lilywhites now face a daunting task in the second half as they attempt to salvage something from the contest.

While some supporters have been left scratching their heads over why Romero’s latest dismissal will result in a harsher punishment than other red cards seen during the 2025/26 season, the explanation lies within the Premier League’s disciplinary framework.

Why Cristian Romero Will Miss Four Matches Instead of Three

Romero’s suspension will extend to four matches rather than the standard three because this was his second red card of the season. Under Premier League and FA regulations, a player who is dismissed twice in the same campaign automatically incurs an additional one-match ban on top of the usual suspension. As a result, Romero will not only miss upcoming league fixtures but will also be ruled out of the north London derby against Arsenal on February 22 — a significant blow for Spurs at a crucial stage of the season.

Earlier in the campaign, Romero was also shown a straight red card during Tottenham’s clash with Liverpool after kicking out at Ibrahima Konaté. That incident resulted in further scrutiny of his conduct, and he was subsequently handed an extra one-match ban for his behaviour following the dismissal. Once this latest suspension is served, Romero will have missed a staggering nine matches across the season due to disciplinary issues alone, including a separate ban for yellow-card accumulation.

Romero’s Eventful Week Ends in Chaos

The 27-year-old’s dismissal — his sixth red card in all competitions for Tottenham — comes just days after he appeared to publicly criticise the club’s leadership amid an ongoing injury crisis. Romero described it as “disgraceful” that Spurs were forced to name just 11 fully fit senior players for last weekend’s match against Manchester City, a comment widely interpreted as a swipe at the club’s inactivity in the transfer market.

Thomas Frank later confirmed that the issue had been addressed internally, while Romero also avoided punishment last month for a cryptic social media post, later edited, which referenced figures at the club who “show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies.”

Whether viewed as karma or mere coincidence, Romero’s latest lapse in judgment has arrived at the worst possible moment for Tottenham. Spurs currently sit just three points clear of 17th-placed Nottingham Forest as this weekend’s fixtures unfold — an uncomfortably familiar position that mirrors where they finished last season under Ange Postecoglou. With their captain now absent for four crucial matches, Tottenham’s task of stabilising their campaign has just become significantly harder.