Aston Villa is really upset with the referees after a “huge mistake” by referee Thomas Bramall helped them lose 2-0 against Manchester United. This loss meant they missed out on a chance to play in the Champions League, which is a big deal in soccer!
During the game, the score was still 0-0, and Villa was down to just 10 players because their goalkeeper, Emiliano Martinez, was sent off. Then, Morgan Rogers thought he scored a goal for Villa! He kicked the ball into the net after taking it away from the United goalkeeper, Altay Bayindir.
But guess what? Referee Bramall blew his whistle and said it was a foul, thinking Bayindir had the ball under control. However, video replays showed that he didn’t! Since the referee stopped the game before the ball went in, the video assistant referee (VAR) couldn’t help out.
Just moments later, Manchester United scored a goal, and then they got a penalty kick that sealed Villa's defeat. Because of this, Villa ended up in sixth place and missed out on the Champions League by just a tiny bit.
After the game, Damian Vidagany, who works for Villa, said they were really unhappy that Bramall, who is only 35 and not very experienced, was chosen to referee such an important match.
“We’re going to complain,” Vidagany said. “It’s not just about the mistake; it’s about why a less experienced referee was picked for a game that mattered so much.”
At first, Villa thought about complaining to the Premier League, but they decided to write to the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) instead.
They believe a “more experienced referee” should have been in charge of a game with such high stakes. Villa pointed out that Bramall was one of the least experienced referees in the league that day.
“The decision to disallow Morgan Rogers’ goal was a big reason we didn’t qualify for the Champions League,” the club said. “We know the result won’t change, but we want to make sure that important games have the right referees and that VAR can do its job.”
Bramall started refereeing in the Premier League in August 2022, and this season he has mostly officiated in the top league and the second tier, with 11 games in the Premier League and 12 in the Championship.
Villa’s manager, Unai Emery, was really angry about the decision to disallow Rogers’ goal and give United a penalty. He said, “The TV shows it clearly, but we have to accept it. It was a mistake. A big mistake.”
So, what do the rules say about this? According to Law 5, a referee can get help from VAR only if there’s a “clear and obvious error” or a “serious missed incident” about goals, penalties, or red cards.
A message from the Premier League said that the referee decided it was a free-kick for Manchester United because he thought Bayindir was in control of the ball before Rogers got it. Since the referee blew the whistle before the ball went in, VAR couldn’t check it.
Villa’s captain, John McGinn, told TNT Sports that while United played well, the decision to disallow the goal was “incredible.” He said, “Everyone wanted the right calls when VAR was introduced. In rugby, if a try is awarded and it’s wrong, it gets overturned.”
He added, “It’s really hard to take, especially since it affects us so much. If we were 1-0 up, we just needed a point to get to the Champions League. It’s a big deal.”
Law 12 explains that a goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball when:
- The ball is between their hands or touching any part of their hands or arms, unless it rebounds from them or they’ve made a save.
- They are holding the ball in an open hand.
- They are bouncing it or throwing it in the air.
Pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards agreed with Aston Villa that Bayindir wasn’t in control of the ball. Shearer said, “If you were Aston Villa, you’d be really angry, and rightly so. It’s a mistake, and the referee blew the whistle too early, so VAR couldn’t step in. This is a huge error.”
Richards added, “It’s a big mistake. The referee just needed to stay calm. For Aston Villa to be so close to the Champions League and have this happen is just not good enough.”