West Ham´s Feghouli has red card overturned

Sofiane Feghouli has had the red card he received during West Ham’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester United overturned.

Algeria winger Feghouli was dismissed after 15 minutes at London Stadium as referee Mike Dean adjudged his tackle on United defender Phil Jones to constitute serious foul play.

The 27-year-old was facing a three-match, but West Ham appealed against the punishment to the Football Association (FA) and Feghouli will now be eligible for Friday’s FA Cup third-round tie at home to Manchester City.

An FA statement confirmed: “Sofiane Feghouli has had his claim of wrongful dismissal upheld today [Wednesday 4 January 2017] following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing.

“The West Ham United player was sent off for serious foul play during the game against Manchester United on Monday 2 January 2017. The standard three-match suspension has, therefore, been withdrawn with immediate effect.”

Monday’s match versus United was still 0-0 when Feghouli was ordered from the field by Dean, with Juan Mata and Zlatan Ibrahimovic on target for the visitors after half-time.

“I was very surprised,” said West Ham manager Slaven Bilic after the match. “You know me, I’m the first one who says [referees] have a difficult job, and every time we look at a slow motion I go: ‘Yeah, they don’t have that in real time.’

“But I said it then – I wouldn’t have been happy with a yellow. I said it to the fourth official and to [Jose] Mourinho, it’s not a yellow. If it was yellow I’d be asking: ‘Why a yellow so early in the game for basically nothing?’ And you have to know it’s Feghouli – he very rarely makes a foul.

“After the game, when I saw it, it gave me proof that I’m right. The more times I’ve seen it, it’s the other way round. It was Jones who made a more dangerous tackle than Feghouli, like a scissor.

“He got the ball, okay, but that was dangerous. Maybe his reaction was to save himself, but definitely not a red card.”