Former referee Graham Poll suggests Vincent Kompany should have been shown a straight red card on Sunday.

The Manchester City produced a horror challenge on Manchester United's Daley Blind late in the first half of his side's 4-2 loss at Old Trafford.

Kompany, who was sent off by Mark Clattenburg for Belgium recently, up-ended Dutch left-back Blind to receive just a caution, ironically from the same man who showed him a red card while wearing his national colours.

However, Poll wrote in his column for the Daily Mail that perhaps City captain Kompany was lucky to remain on the pitch in what was another sub-par performance from his team.

'Vincent Kompany should have been sent off for a reckless studs up challenge on Manchester United's Daley Blind just before half time,' opined Poll.

'Referee Mark Clattenburg suspected the challenge was one deserving of a red card but clearly had doubts as his body language immediately revealed.

'Either, he did not have a good enough view or perhaps doubted his perception - he could well have been affected as he had sent off Kompany while officiating Belgium's win over Israel last month.

'In such situations you need a second opinion and Clattenburg understandably referred to his assistant Jake Collin who erred on the side of caution and so Kompany escaped.

'A review of the incident would have confirmed Clattenburg's initial suspicion and resulted in the correct decision but we have to wait a few more years before that will happen.

'Pellegrini took the decision to substitute Kompany at half-time and it was probably a justified decision, with his captain in danger of not being so lucky next time round.'