The incident seemingly occurred during the match, with the defender engaging in a heated altercation with Bruno Fernandes late in the game, resulting in him grabbing the Manchester United midfielder by the throat.
Despite being captured on camera and investigated by the authorities, the video assistant referee (VAR) did not send off Felipe for his actions.
Earlier, Manchester City secured victory against Manchester United with a 3:30 p.m. kickoff time in their match.
In the fifth round of the FA Cup, the two clubs faced off, aiming to progress to the quarterfinals. Casemiro’s late header secured victory for Erik ten Hag’s team, continuing their journey in the tournament.
The game was closely contested, with neither team dominating proceedings. Fernandes provided an assist to Casemiro with a free kick into the Forest area, leading to the decisive goal.
After conceding the late goal, Forest defender Felipe was involved in the altercation with Fernandes, where he was seen placing his hand around the Portuguese star’s throat, though the cause of the brawl remains unclear.
Despite the incident being captured on camera, Felipe avoided punishment, raising questions about the consistency of disciplinary actions.
Ten Hag accused Forest of targeting Fernandes due to his injury, which he described as “very significant.” He expressed frustration at the criticism directed towards Fernandes on social media and emphasized the midfielder’s determination to play despite his injury.
Referee Chris Kavanagh has issued 83 yellow cards in 21 matches this season, with only one red card, highlighting a key statistic for GIVEMESPORT.
Fernandes appeared fatigued as he left the stadium after the match at the City Ground, but he is still expected to play against Manchester City on Sunday as per the schedule.
Since joining Manchester United in 2021, Fernandes has not missed a single game due to injury, solidifying his status as a key player for the team.
