Patrice Evra says Harry Maguire’s headlock on Cesar Azpilicueta during Manchester United’s Premier League clash with Chelsea is a move more associated with WWE legend Hulk Hogan.
The Red Devils skipper grappled with his Blues counterpart during the first half of a cagey meeting at Old Trafford.
Maguire had been drafted back into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s starting XI after sitting out a midweek Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain.
The England international has endured a testing 2020-21 campaign to date, for club and country, and he could have seen matters take another turn for the worse when tangling with Azpilicueta.
As United sought to deal with a set-piece delivered into their box, Maguire found himself the wrong side of his fellow captain.
In a bid to try and prevent a Spanish foe from getting to the ball, the 27-year-old took to grabbing Azpilicueta round the neck.
His tactics worked, as he was able to complete a clearance, but his methods were slightly unusual – and risky.
With VAR now checking any contentious incidents, Maguire could easily have been pulled up for fouling Azpilicueta, presenting Chelsea with an opportunity to convert from the penalty spot.
Evra admits the Red Devils centre-half got lucky as his actions would not have looked out of place in a wrestling ring.
The former United defender told Sky Sports: “I used to watch wrestling and he reminds me of Hulk Hogan. It’s a clear penalty and VAR, we can talk all day about it.”
Evra was not the only one surprised to see Maguire get away with some questionable defending on Saturday.
Chelsea supporters following the action from afar were left baffled as to how the match officials – on the field and at Stockley Park – failed to reach the conclusion that a spot-kick should have been awarded.
Maguire continued to favour a risky approach in the second half, with the United star locking horns with Azpilicueta on a regular basis.
He faced no punishment for continuously wrapping his arms around the long-serving Blues star, with his actions seemingly judged to be part of the process that constitutes tightly marking a man.