Leeds United full-back Gabriel Gudmundsson has admitted fortune might have been on his side following a controversial refereeing call in Sunday’s encounter against Manchester United, though he maintained there was zero malice behind his foul on Andrey Santos.

​The Swedish defender received a caution in the 20th minute after his studs caught Santos on the back of the leg. Match refereeing staff deemed the challenge worthy of only a yellow card, and a subsequent VAR review opted against upgrading the sanction to a dismissal.

​The decision ignited significant debate among pundits and supporters post-match, with many arguing that Gudmundsson deserved to be sent off. Comparisons quickly surfaced with Fulham wing-back Ryan Sessegnon, who was shown a straight red card for a comparable tackle against Hull City just twenty-four hours earlier.

​Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds, Gudmundsson offered an honest assessment of the flashpoint, acknowledging that his perspective changed significantly once he reviewed the video replays.

​”I’m aware of when it happened in the Manchester United game; it didn’t even feel like a yellow card,” Gudmundsson stated. “But then I saw it and I saw I wanted to step because I wanted to chase the movement and I wanted to set my foot down and I accidentally hit him. It was not on purpose, I really went in for the duel.”

​He suggested that the officials likely took his genuine intent into consideration when reviewing the collision. The 27-year-old also reflected on the fickle nature of officiating decisions, pointing out that bad luck had cost him dearly during the previous campaign.

​”Hopefully they maybe saw that. Last season, I got a red card that shouldn’t have been a red card. So maybe it evens out, I don’t know. But it is what it is. You need to be careful with the small details,” he added, referring to an erroneous second yellow card he collected during a trip to Crystal Palace.

​With video technology constantly scrutinizing split-second challenges, Gudmundsson conceded that modern players have been forced to adapt their habits and tone down certain physical antics on the pitch. Subtle offenses that previously escaped the referee’s line of sight are now magnified in high definition.

​”Now we have video, maybe we can’t do the small punishments, so you need to be a bit more careful obviously with dragging the shirts and soon inside your own box and so on,” the left-back explained.

​Despite the growing need for caution, the Sweden international emphasized that he has no intention of abandoning his naturally aggressive style of play. He remains determined to maintain high intensity in defensive duels, noting that his approach will always center on winning the ball back and putting opposing defenders under persistent pressure.