Dominic Solanke reacts as Aston Villa star bemoans major incident v Brentford
Aston Villa were subject to another controversial decision in the 1-0 win over Brentford.
The Villans were leading through an Ollie Watkins strike and the former Bees striker turned provider when Morgan Rogers thought he had doubled the lead.
However, VAR intervened, ruling that Watkins was offside in the build-up and denying the 22-year-old an eighth Premier League goal of the season.
The result leaves Unai Emery’s side with a slim chance of securing a second successive season in the Champions League.
Solanke reacts as Rogers jokes about VAR
It is not the first time that the former West Brom academy graduate has had issues with VAR this season, with a strike in the 4-1 defeat to Crystal Palace was also disallowed for offside.
He took to Instagram to share his frustration in a satirical post (9 March), saying: “Me and VAR don’t get on” with an angry emoji.
Tottenham star Dominic Solanke reacted by liking the post from his England teammate.
Rogers emerging as key star for Villa
Despite having two recent strikes ruled out upon inspection, Rogers has emerged as a key figure for Unai Emery in his first full season at Villa Park.
There were signs of his talent after his February move from Middlesbrough in 2024 when he notched three goals and one assist in 11 league appearances despite the step up in class.
| Rogers’ stats | Goals | Assists |
| Premier League | 7 | 4 |
| Champions League | 3 | 1 |
| FA Cup | 2 | 1 |
However, he has enjoyed a stunning breakthrough this campaign having scored 12 goals and grabbed six assists in 40 matches in all competitions.
The question for the B6 outfit is can they keep hold of the Three Lions ace, as elite clubs will surely start taking notice of his form if he can maintain it until the end of the season.
For now though, his focus is on helping Villa to finish as high as they possibly can domestically and going as far as they can in the Champions League, with a key round of 16 second-leg against Club Brugge on the horizon.
Once the campaign concludes, Rogers may find himself having to consider his future if the Emery’s side do not qualify for Europe’s premier competition, as his ambitions may not match the position of the club.