Former Chelsea captain John Terry has backed VAR’s decision to overturn Kieran Tripper’s sending-off in the draw between Manchester City and Newcastle at the weekend.

Referee Jarred Gillett initially pulled out a red card after Trippier’s high challenge on Kevin De Bruyne but it was later downgraded to a booking, which Terry agreed with:

By the way this was Newcastle Vs Man City
The Trippier incident

— John Terry (@JohnTerry26) August 22, 2022

The decision has split opinion among pundits. Sky Sports‘ Jamie Carragher claims Trippier’s challenge could soon be outlawed. While he feels that it wasn’t a leg breaker as the fullback didn’t lead with his studs, the fact that the player had no intention of playing the ball (combined with the contact on the knee) means the laws of the game may be changed to make it a sending-off offence. Terry, it appears, has the opposite view.

Nonetheless, the decision played a key role in the match. City were in the ascendancy when the incident involving Trippier and De Bruyne occurred. If Newcastle had to play the rest of the game with ten men, you would have backed City to secure all three points.