Aston Villa plan official complaint as huge goal controversy at Manchester United explained | OneFootball

Villa anger after Morgan Rogers denied final-day opener at Old Trafford before club miss out on Champions League qualification with defeat

Aston Villa were left furious after a hugely controversial decision contributed to them losing at Manchester United and missing out on a Champions League place for next season.

However, while United fully deserved their victory, most of the post-match focus will centre on a massively contentious call made just over three minutes before Villa fell behind with less than 15 to play on Sunday.

Despite being reduced to 10 men by the sending off of goalkeeper Emi Martinez on the stroke of half-time for his inexplicable decision to race out of his box and take down Rasmus Hojlund after an underhit pass back from Matty Cash, this season’s quarter-finalists looked to be heading back to Europe’s premier club competition for only the second time since the 1982/83 campaign when Everton took the lead at Newcastle through Charly Alcaraz.

That goal, combined with Villa holding United, briefly took Emery’s men up into fifth, above Newcastle and in possession of the last Champions League qualification berth after they started the day in sixth and level on points with both the Magpies and Chelsea, but with a vastly inferior goal difference.

Things looked to have got even better for Villa when Altay Bayindir - starting ahead of usual No1 Andre Onana - failed to properly gain possession as he slid to take a loose ball just inside the box, with Morgan Rogers poking it away from the United goalkeeper and firing into an empty net.

However, referee Thomas Bramall had already blown the whistle before the ball went in for what he ruled as a foul by Rogers on Bayindir, meaning VAR were unable to intervene and review - much to the absolute fury of Villa’s players and Emery, who all remonstrated with the officials both during and after the game.

Explaining the decision, the Premier League Match Centre wrote on social media: “The referee’s call was a free-kick to Manchester United with Bayindir deemed to be in control of the ball before Rogers gained possession.

“The whistle was blown by the referee before the ball entered the goal, therefore the incident was not reviewable by the VAR.”

Villa were incensed, with captain John McGinn describing the decision as “incredible” in his post-match interview with TNT Sports.

"Tough to take, especially in the circumstances,” he said. “I don't think any of us in the dressing room or watching the game felt we deserved to win.

"But the decision is incredible. When VAR came in everyone wanted the correct decisions. You watch rugby, if a try's given and even the referee's awarded it, and if it's wrong, it's overturned.

"I know it's the rule, I've seen before a couple of times but it's so hard to take, especially when the impact on the team and the club is so big.

"At that time you're 1-0 up with 20 to go, and all you need is a point to get in the Champions League. It's a really costly one."

Emery then claimed that referee Bramall had admitted to him that he made a mistake.

“The TV (evidence) is clear but, of course, we have to accept it. It is a big mistake,” the Spaniard told TNT.

"The goal (being) disallowed was the key moment but overall they deserve it more. We were resilient with one player less and we could score one goal. It was a good opportunity to continue being resilient and keep the result.

"I speak to the referee and he knows it (was a mistake). But I don't want to speak about VAR.

"We go to Europa League but we were close to Champions League. Our objective (at the start of the season) was to be in Europe, and we have to be happy and proud with what we did."

The Athletic first reported that Aston Villa plan to make an official complaint to the Premier League, with the club believing that a more experienced referee should have been appointed to oversee a game with such high stakes.

"The complaint is not about the decision,” Villa director of football Damian Vidagany was quoted as saying by the Press Association.

"The complaint is about the selection of the referee - one of the most inexperienced referees for one of the most difficult matches of the season, involving another four or five teams.

"It's not about the decision. The decision is clear. It's a mistake. The referee apologised for the mistake, so we can do nothing.

"The problem is why the experienced referees, international referees were not here today."