Sunderland defender Reinildo was shown a straight red card for violent conduct in the 33rd minute against Aston Villa after kicking out at opponent Matt Cash. The 31-year-old summer signing from Atletico Madrid was furious after Cash bundled him to the ground, responding by kicking towards Cash's stomach area.
Referee Sam Barrott produced the red card immediately, with the player initially attempting to plead his innocence. VAR reviewed and confirmed the decision after a brief check.
Official VAR explanation
The Premier League posted an official explanation on social media following the incident. The Premier League said: "The referee's call of red card to Reinildo for violent conduct was checked and confirmed by VAR - with the contact on Cash deemed to be a clear violent action with his studs."
The Mozambique international oddly remained on the pitch arguing for the decision to be overturned before eventually heading down the tunnel.
Tactical disruption
Reinildo's dismissal forced manager Regis Le Bris into an early tactical change, substituting Chris Rigg for Dan Ballard to restore Sunderland's defensive structure. The substitution brought Sunderland back up to four defenders after losing their left-back.
Until his dismissal, the defender had played every minute for the Black Cats this season since his summer arrival as a free agent from the La Liga giants.
Disciplinary record
The defender had a clean disciplinary record during his 103 appearances for Atletico Madrid, never receiving a red card during his time with the Spanish club. His previous dismissal came on the opening day of the 2020/21 campaign while playing for Lille, following a challenge on then-Rennes winger Raphinha, who now plays for Barcelona.
Sources used: "Daily Star"
Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
