‘Bramall to be relegated by Premier League’ after disgraceful Aston Villa controversy
Aston Villa suffered defeat in controversial fashion against Manchester United on Sunday, as referee Thomas Bramall had a stinker.
The Villans have missed out on a place in the Champions League due to goal difference after losing 2-0 at Old Trafford on 25 May.
Goals from Christian Eriksen and Amad Diallo made the difference as Unai Emery was left absolutely seething on the sidelines.
This was partly due to the shocking performance of his side, but mainly because of some terrible officiating from Bramall, who has since been called out for a huge error.
Bramall slammed in PGMOL rant after Aston Villa defeat
There is no taking away from the fact that Villa were dreadful against the Red Devils and largely deserved to suffer defeat in M16.
With that being said, the away side should have had the lead with less than 20 minutes to go when Morgan Rogers tapped into an empty net.
This was bizarrely ruled out on field as the England international was adjudged to have fouled United keeper Altay Bayindir in the build-up.
On closer inspection, the Turkish shot-stopper didn’t have control of the ball, and the goal should have stood to give Villa a 1-0 lead.
However, referee Bramall decided to blow his whistle before the ball crossed the line, and as a result, VAR couldn’t give the goal.
It is safe to say this left Emery fuming, with his anger shared by Dan Bardell live on talkSPORT (25 May, 6:02pm) as he raged at the official for the decision.
He said: “The fact that a referee can make such an amateur error in a game of such high stakes is absolutely shocking, and Unai Emery looks like he’s about to burst into tears.
“A whole season has boiled down to a piece of amateurish officiating that isn’t good enough at the highest level. There needs to be a complete branch change at the PGMOL. Everything is wrong there.
“The official today, Thomas Bramall, absolutely disgusting, absolute disgrace, should not be a Premier League referee next season.”
Aston Villa let down v Manchester United
It is baffling that a referee with less than 20 Premier League matches under his belt was chosen to officiate a game with such massive meaning.
The difference in revenue from the Champions League to the Europa League could be worth tens of millions to Villa, especially with PSR concerns in the picture.
| Position | Club | Games played | Goal difference | Points |
| 3. | Manchester City | 38 | +28 | 71 |
| 4. | Chelsea | 38 | +21 | 69 |
| 5. | Newcastle United | 38 | +21 | 66 |
| 6. | Aston Villa | 38 | +7 | 66 |
| 7. | Nottingham Forest | 38 | +12 | 65 |
As a result, everyone associated with the Villans has the right to fume about the decision and how bad the performance was at Old Trafford.