Wolves v Aston Villa exclusive: Ex-PGMOL chief hits out at controversial footage
Keith Hackett insists the officials were wrong to disallow Donyell Malen’s goal as Aston Villa fell to defeat against Wolves.
Recent signing Malen thought he had opened his scoring account for the Villans in Saturday’s (1 February) clash at Molineux, which ended in a 2-0 win for the hosts.
That goal was chalked off, though, as VAR adjudged – as confirmed by the Premier League – that an offside Morgan Rogers’ movement impeded the run of Nelson Semedo.
However, former PGMOL chief Hackett has exclusively explained to Villa News why the goal should have been allowed to stand.
“This is an incorrect decision,” he said after being showed the footage. “A player in an offside position at the moment the ball is played or touched by a team-mate is only penalised on becoming involved in active play by:
• Interfering with play by playing or touching a ball passed or touched by a team-mate;
• Interfering with an opponent by preventing an opponent from playing, or being able to play, the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision or challenging an opponent for the ball;
• Clearly attempting to play a ball which is close when this action impacts on an opponent;
• Making an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball.
“Rogers did not commit any of these actions. Therefore the goal should have been allowed.”
Aston Villa robbed of goal in contentious defeat to Wolves
Had Malen’s goal stood – which is clearly should have – then it would have been an entirely different content at Molineux.
As it is, Matheus Cunha added a last-gasp second after Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s early opener to inflict another post-European-match defeat on Unai Emery’s side.
This is yet another example of the officials being far too inconsistent with major decisions. As Hackett points out, Rogers did not do enough to interfere with play for the goal to be disallowed.
Emery will not want to give his players excuses, but he has every reason to be furious with the officials on this occasion.
In other Aston Villa news, a player has said goodbye to his team-mates ahead of completing a likely move to the Villans.
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