Forest vs Man City: Why Rúben Dias Escaped a Second Yellow (And VAR Couldn’t Act)

Ruben Dias foul on Igor Jesus during Forest vs Man City as debate grows over VAR and second yellow cards

In Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City (Dec 27), Rúben Dias committed a foul that stopped a dangerous attacking situation. The debate wasn’t just “was it a yellow?”—it was the bigger issue: if the referee misses a second caution, VAR has no power to intervene, even when the match context and replays suggest it should be a clear second booking.

That limitation creates inconsistency: VAR can correct many game-changing moments, but not a second caution that would also change the entire match.

THE VERDICT
Decision: No second yellow shown
Rating: 🟧 Major (Protocol Blind Spot)
Analysis: This is exactly why fans feel VAR is “selective.” A missed second yellow is still a missed send-off—same impact, different rule category. Football needs a clean solution: allow VAR to recommend an on-field review when a second caution is clearly wrong or clearly missed.

Was the referee’s decision correct?

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