Mike Dean and Boyd clash over Aston Villa incident – ‘You always want attention’
Aston Villa were denied an opening goal against Crystal Palace in controversial circumstances on Tuesday night.
Unai Emery’s side then succumbed to a 29th-minute strike from Ismaila Sarr at Selhurst Park (25 February).
If they are to secure a second successive Champions League berth next season, the Villans need to secure victory.
The visitors were second best in the opening 45 minutes and will be aggrieved to not be level after two VAR involvements.
Aston Villa rocked by VAR drama v Crystal Palace
Villa star Jacob Ramsey had the ball in the back of the net in the 26th minute after a nice move from the Midlands outfit.
However, it was ruled out for offside and Kris Boyd was left furious after the strike was disallowed and aimed a dig at former referee turned pundit Mike Dean.
Speaking on Sky Sports (25 February, 20:00 pm), he said: “The flag goes up I’m not surprised because that has been the story of this match.
“The referee blowing his whistle, you always want attention, don’t you?”
Dean replied, saying: “What can he do when it’s offside?”
Boyd responded: “I’m not joking, there must have been 12 fouls in this game, what are we 25 minutes in, non-stop, it’s a classic.”
Morgan Rogers later had a strike ruled out on the stroke of half-time due to a tight offside decision.
Emery needs a Villa win
The Spaniard desperately needs a win as his side chase Champions League qualification as the season edges towards the conclusion.
His side needed to turn around the clash in London in the second half otherwise their chances of doing that will be minimal considering that they are currently in eighth place and they started perfectly with an early Rogers strike but they were pegged back by Jean-Philippe Mateta.
| Premier League | Played | GD | Points |
| 4. Chelsea | 27 | +13 | 46 |
| 5. Man City | 26 | +15 | 44 |
| 6. Newcastle | 26 | +10 | 44 |
| 7. Bournemouth | 27 | +13 | 43 |
| 8. Brighton | 27 | +5 | 43 |
| 9. Fulham | 27 | +4 | 42 |
| 10. Aston Villa | 28 | -3 | 42 |
The Villans are on a miserable run of just one win in their last five league matches and find their European hopes hanging by a thread with an extra game played than their rivals above them in the table.
The Villa Park outfit could secure another season in Europe’s premier competition by winning it this season but that is unlikely given that they find themselves in the same bracket as Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, and Arsenal.
Emery’s side will likely have to rely on their league position to secure continental football again but they need a severe upturn in form if they are to have any chance of overhauling the teams they are chasing.
A defeat in London would severely dent their aspirations and have the B6 outfit relying on other teams’ results to help them.