Thomas Bramall ‘gets it correct’ as Gary Lineker shares footage of Aston Villa controversy
Aston Villa’s season finished on a disappointing note, missing out on Champions League football.
With Newcastle United losing against Everton, Aston Villa needed to better their result at Old Trafford, but a 2-0 defeat against Manchester United ruined the party.
It was a game full of controversy, though, with the Villans left raging after Emi Martinez was sent off on the stroke of half-time, before Morgan Rogers had a goal wrongly ruled out in the second half.
Unai Emery has made his feelings known, and Aston Villa have written to the PGMOL to complain, but the West Midlands outfit will have to settle for a place in the Europa League.
Alan Shearer and Micah Richards react to Martinez decision
Aston Villa were not at their best levels on Sunday (25 May), despite playing a Manchester United side that have been disappointing this term.
Things were made even harder for the Villans when Martinez was shown a red card just before half-time, after taking out Rasmus Hojlund in a late challenge as he bounded forward towards the goal.
It was a decision that undoubtedly changed the trajectory of the afternoon, with the game 0-0 at the time, even if Villa were struggling.
There was no question in the mind of referee Thomas Bramall that a straight red card was the correct decision, either, and that has been backed up, despite his later mistakes.
Gary Lineker shared the footage of the incident on Match of the Day (25 May), claiming it was a decision that was hard to argue with.
Micah Richards was quick to agree as he said: “Yeah, it was the right decision.
“I actually thought Hojlund was very sharp off the mark. I think Cash passes it back here, and then you can see it, clear and obvious, there. He’s gone, if you look at the angle here, he’s basically looking at him.
“I mean, there’s no complaints from him. Everyone can see it’s a red card, he knows. I mean, it’s very, very tough, but the referee Thomas Bramall gets it correct, so right decision.”
Alan Shearer then added: “I agree, he’s got no choice but to send him off. He has to send him off and it’s the right decision.”
Martinez could say goodbye to Aston Villa
Going into the final game of the season, there was speculation over what the future might hold for Martinez.
Although the goalkeeper has been linked with a move away from Villa Park this summer, Emery was quick to shut down these links before the game.
However, on a disappointing afternoon where Martinez significantly hindered his side’s efforts, it could be enough to push the manager into making a change between the sticks.
| Appearances | Goals Conceded | Clean Sheets |
| 37 | 45 | 9 |
After all of his efforts in Claret and Blue, it would be a shame for the Argentinian’s time in the West Midlands to end on such a sour note.
Nevertheless, while Villa fans certainly had plenty to be angry about on the afternoon, there could be no complaints over the red card for their goalkeeper.