Richard Keys reacts to ‘Scary’ PGMOL announcement after Aston Villa controversy
Aston Villa may have come away with all three points against Brighton on Wednesday but a VAR controversy dominated the headlines.
Goals from Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio and Donyell Malen were enough to seal a 3-0 win against the Seagulls and leaves Villa sitting seventh in the table.
However, Unai Emery’s side were outraged when Jacob Ramsey was brought down by Jack Hinshelwood in the first half, and no penalty was given.
Richard Keys reacts after VAR announcement
Although it seemed to be a clear foul on Ramsey, who was brought down after being tripped, the referee did not see it as a penalty, and VAR backed that decision.
The Premier League announced shortly afterwards that the challenge was checked and the referee’s decision was confirmed by VAR because the contact did not reach the threshold for a foul.
Thankfully, it didn’t end up having a big impact on proceedings as Villa made the most of their opportunities in the second half.
However, Richard Keys has taken to X to express his outrage at the decision after the PGMOL acknowledged they made another mistake in the Everton defeat at Liverpool.
He wrote: “Villa should’ve had a pen at Brighton. Why aren’t standards improving? It’s scary how poor our guys are.”
Aston Villa take a step closer to Champions League football again
Yet again, VAR has been the subject that has dominated headlines in the Premier League, which is an indication of just how much is going wrong.
Emery’s side are lucky that on this occasion it did not have any big implications for them but at this stage in the season, where points are vital, these decisions could be gamechanging.
| Team | Possession | Shots | Shots on target |
| Brighton | 56% | 11 | 4 |
| Aston Villa | 44% | 8 | 5 |
Nevertheless, the West Midlands side now sit three points away from the top four as they look to achieve another finish that will see them play European football next season.
Not only that but with a Champions League quarter-final ahead as well as an FA Cup semi-final, there is plenty to still be played for at Villa Park making the final period of the season exciting.
The additions of new players in the winter transfer window are proving they were worth signing and making an impact on the pitch, suggesting Villa may have enough to see this season out.
As it stands, there is no reason why Emery can’t direct his side to their desired finish and a trophy win this term.