Former Premier League referee Graham Barber has given his verdict after Bruno Fernandes and Gabriel Gudmundsson both escaped without red cards as Man United drew at Leeds.

The heated rivals shared the points at Elland Road after a 1-1 result in which Dominic Calvert-Lewin's second-half equaliser negated Bryan Mbeumo's opener from before the break.

It was a sixth outing without victory in all competitions for Michael Carrick's men, and it might have been worse if captain Fernandes had been shown more than just a yellow for a clumsy challenge on Tarik Muharemovic early in the first half.

The Portuguese midfielder lunged in to block a clearance from the home defender on the edge of the Leeds box in just the 16th minute and left the latter rolling on the turf after catching him late.

Darren England initially let play continue but booked Fernandes following a break in play at the other end, and left it at that despite the visiting skipper following the referee across the pitch and angrily remonstrating.

VAR Peter Bankes then stuck with the original decision, which Barber believes was the correct one.

Had England decided to pull out the red card at that stage, then he might have also done so just minutes later when Leeds wing-back Gudmundsson left Andrey Santos in apparent agony after standing on his ankle, but on that occasion the officials also deemed yellow sufficient punishment.

Similar to Fernandes, Gudmundsson himself risked a second yellow for dissent soon after he went into the book, but again England kept each side at their full compliment.

The official had let a lot slide in the opening exchanges, and didn't show any further cards until stoppage time when Santos and Ethan Ampadu were both booked, as he seemingly looked to let a full-blooded derby play out as such.

Fans of either side expressed outrage on social media at seeing the opposing player escape an early red, but speaking exclusively to GIVEMESPORT ex-Premier League official Barber backed the on-field decision of his successors in each case.

Fernandes and Gudmundsson decisions correct

He said: "Look, I saw them and I didn't think they were enough for reds.

"I think the intention of the players was not particularly reckless, and I think you have to remember sometimes that the game is played at such high speed.

"And what we have to recognise as well [is] that players are genuinely making challenges to win the ball, and they don't always get it right.

"That's not a lack of ability, that's just the pace of the game. And so we have to accept that, and in those challenges, I thought the referee was right, I thought they were both yellow cards.

"If you look at things at slow-mo, they normally end up looking worse than they are.

"But at full speed I didn't go, 'ooh, I think this is a bad one'. I thought they were both yellow cards when I saw them and, you know, somebody may have an argument to say that it's a bit more,

"But I think the on-field decision was absolutely right."