Refereeing controversy as Aston Villa lose to Man Utd and miss Champions League spot

With the match at Old Trafford still goalless and Villa reduced to 10 men following the correct dismissal of goalkeeper Emiliano Marti­nez, the visitors believed they had taken the lead through Morgan Rogers. The winger dispossessed United goalkeeper Altay Bayındır and calmly finished, only for Bramall to blow for a foul, ruling that Bayındır had two hands on the ball - a decision not supported by television replays.

Crucially, because the referee stopped play before the ball crossed the line, VAR was unable to review or overturn the call.

Just minutes later, Amad Diallo headed United in front, and a late Christian Eriksen penalty sealed the result. The loss saw Villa finish sixth in the Premier League, missing out on the Champions League on goal difference.

Villa's director of football operations, Damian Vidagany, expressed the club's frustration in the post-match press conference, questioning the decision to appoint Bramall - one of the Premier League's least experienced referees - to such a high-stakes fixture.

"We are going to send a complaint," said Vidagany. "The complaint is not about the decision itself - clearly it was a mistake - but about the referee's appointment. Why wasn't a more experienced, international-level official selected for a match of this magnitude?"

Villa later confirmed that the complaint had been directed to PGMOL, rather than the Premier League, with a statement highlighting concerns about both referee selection and the limitations imposed on VAR when play is halted prematurely.

"Of the 10 referees officiating in the Premier League on Sunday, Mr. Bramall was the second least experienced," the club said. "The decision to disallow Morgan Rogers' goal, which would have given the club a 1-0 lead with 17 minutes remaining, was a major contributing factor to us not qualifying for the Champions League.

"While we accept the result cannot be changed, we believe this incident highlights the need for better selection processes for key fixtures, and for VAR to be given the opportunity to function as intended."

Bramall, 35, first officiated in the Premier League in August 2022 and has split his assignments this season between the top flight and the Championship.

Villa manager Unai Emery was visibly angered by the decisions during and after the match, describing the disallowed goal as a clear error. "The TV is clear, but of course we have to accept it. It was a mistake. A big mistake," Emery said.

PGMOL has declined to comment on the matter.

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