Gabby Agbonlahor fumes as Aston Villa lose v Manchester United – ‘Disgrace’
Gabby Agbonlahor was devastated as Aston Villa lost 2-0 to Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.
Old Trafford hosted Unai Emery’s team on 25 May, with Ruben Amorim’s team dominating proceedings for most of the opening 45 minutes.
Emi Martinez’s red card for a foul on Rasmus Hojlund just before the break made things worse for the Villans, but they sensed some hope after Morgan Rogers thought he’d given the visitors the lead, which the referee eventually chalked off as the midfielder was deemed to have fouled Altay Bayindir.
VAR couldn’t overturn the decision as Thomas Bramall had blown the whistle before the ball went into the net, and the Red Devils subsequently scored twice to end the Lions’ hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.
Aston Villa cheated out after VAR and refereeing disgrace v Man United
Agbonlahor believes the Villans were cheated out of a Champions League spot after losing to Man United.
The former striker was seemingly fuming at VAR and the referees for disallowing Rogers’ goal, which would’ve sealed the Lions’ place in the top five.
| Premier League table | Points |
| 1. Liverpool | 84 |
| 2. Arsenal | 74 |
| 3. Manchester City | 71 |
| 4. Chelsea | 69 |
| 5. Newcastle United | 66 |
| 6. Villa | 66 |
Newcastle United lost to Everton at St James’ Park, and even a draw would’ve been enough for the Birmingham club to play the top competition in Europe next season.
Agbonlahor wrote on X (25 May) after full-time at Old Trafford: “VAR is a disgrace and so are these referees! Villa cheated out of Champions League football! VAR was meant to stop these crazy decisions?”
Emery right to be angry with officials after Man United loss
Emery has every right to call out the referees after losing to Man United, as the disallowed goal could’ve completely changed the game.
The Spanish manager has overseen a relatively successful campaign at Villa Park, and qualification to the Champions League would’ve been much deserved.
With the futures of a few stars uncertain, qualifying for the top competition in Europe could’ve potentially helped the Lions keep some of their best players.
Villa will undoubtedly be affected in the upcoming transfer window regarding their recruitment after missing out on a top-five berth in the Premier League.
It’ll be interesting to see what sort of action, if any, is taken against the referees for their game-changing calls at Old Trafford.
At the end of the day, the Lions have missed out on an important goal for the season and will be playing in the Europa League instead.
The Villa Park faithful will want to see significant changes made with officiating after what they’ve had to witness.