- Harry Maguire went down in the penalty area under pressure from Emile Smith Rowe
- He was shown a yellow card by referee Rob Jones despite protesting the decision
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Manchester United defender Harry Maguire was booked for a diving tackle in the opening match of the season against Fulham, and the spectators couldn’t help but laugh at him.
The centre-back stormed into the penalty area in the first half at Old Trafford and fell to the ground after expecting Emile Smith Rowe to hit him.
However, after several replays it soon became apparent that he had not been touched by his opponent, and referee Rob Jones immediately gave him a yellow card.
Maguire protested the decision, but the warning left him at a disadvantage against Fulham’s physical front line on the opening day of the new season.
Social media users immediately went to work to mercilessly dismantle the simulation.
Manchester United defender Harry Maguire was shown a yellow card for diving against Fulham
The centre-back went down under pressure from Emile Smith Rowe before being cautioned
There were even crude comparisons made to diving at the Paris Olympics, with Maguire jokingly recalling that the events were over by then.
“Someone let Harry Maguire know that he already won Olympic gold in diving last week,” posted one X user.
“Maguire had a keen eye for the diving pool at the Olympics I see,” said another.
Alongside a number of crying laughing emojis, a third added: ‘Maguire diving looked like the most awkward thing I’ve ever seen on a football pitch.’
A fourth said: ‘Harry Maguire gets yellow card for diving. Embarrassing.’
Maguire was mercilessly ridiculed by viewers with crude references to Olympic diving
Maguire was given a starting place ahead of expensive new signing Matthijs de Ligt, while Erik ten Hag opted to bench the Dutch international.
But after 80 minutes Maguire was replaced by De Ligt, who was apparently injured.
United secured victory in the dying minutes after Joshua Zirkzee, their first signing of the summer, headed in a cross from Alejandro Garnacho at the near post.