The leadership of the Premier League referees' committee responded to Aston Villa regarding the controversial decision of referee Thomas Bramall during yesterday's match between Birmingham and Manchester United (0:2). About a quarter of an hour before the end, with the score 0:0, Morgan Rodgers took the ball from goalkeeper Altay Byander and sent it into the net. However, referee Bramall immediately signaled and even before the ball crossed the goal line, he had already flagged a foul. It is this action of the referee that actually does not allow for a review of the situation with VAR, the committee's leadership explained, BTA reported.
„The referee's decision was for a free kick for Manchester United, as he believes that Altay Byander controlled the ball before Rodgers gained possession of it. The referee signalled before the ball entered the goal, therefore the incident could not be reviewed by VAR“, the official position of the referees said.
Aston Villa reacted strongly, as the Birmingham side missed out on a place in the Champions League after the defeat. Even with a draw, Unai Emery's team would have been ahead of Newcastle in fifth place.
„Aston Villa can confirm that the club has written to the refereeing committee to express its concerns about the selection process of officials following the match with Manchester United. With the stakes so high for the match, the club believes a more experienced referee should have been appointed. Mr Bramall was the second least experienced of the ten referees who officiated the matches in the last round. The decision to disallow Morgan Rodgers' goal, which would have given our club the lead with 17 minutes remaining, was a major factor in our failure to qualify for the Champions League. Given the standards that have been established throughout the season, the decision to give an early signal is clearly inconsistent with current refereeing guidelines. VAR exists to ensure that it is in situations like these that the necessary review is carried out. Unfortunately, the technology was not allowed to serve its intended purpose. Ultimately, we recognise that the outcome will not change, but we believe it is important to consider the selection methodology to ensure that matches with such high stakes are treated as such for refereeing purposes,” Aston Villa said in a statement.