Villa complain to Premier League after 'big mistake' led to club missing out on Champions League

Aston Villa plans to complain to the Premier League. They believe referee Thomas Bramall made a "big mistake" in their 2-0 loss at Manchester United. This defeat cost them a spot in the Champions League.

During the match, Villa was down to 10 men after goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was sent off. The game was scoreless when Morgan Rogers thought he had scored. He nudged the ball away from United's goalkeeper Altay Bayindir and slotted it home.

However, Bramall called a foul, believing Bayindir had two hands on the ball. Television footage showed this was not true. Since Bramall stopped play before the ball went in, VAR could not intervene.

Shortly after, Amad Diallo scored for United. Christian Eriksen added a late penalty, sealing Villa's defeat. As a result, Villa finished sixth and missed out on Champions League football due to goal difference.

In a post-match news conference, Damian Vidagany spoke for Villa's operations team. He expressed dissatisfaction that Bramall officiated such an important game.

"We are going to send a complaint," said Vidagany. "It's not about the decision; it's about selecting an inexperienced referee." He questioned why international referees were not present for this match.

Villa manager Unai Emery was visibly upset about disallowing Rogers' goal and awarding United their penalty kick. After the game, he stated, "The TV is clear with the move but we have to accept it." He called it "a big mistake."

Villa captain John McGinn also shared his thoughts with TNT Sports. He admitted that United deserved to win but found it "incredible" that Rogers' goal was disallowed.

McGinn emphasized that everyone wanted correct decisions with VAR in place. He compared it to rugby where wrong calls can be overturned even after scoring attempts.

"It's really tough to take," he said about missing out on Champions League qualification due to this incident. McGinn noted that if they had been leading 1-0 at that moment, they would only need one point for qualification.

He added that Bramall seemed unsure of what to say during discussions post-game. McGinn suggested considering more experienced referees for future matches.