Keith Hackett: Peter Bankes got Tammy Abraham penalty decision wrong in Aston Villa win vs Brighton
Tammy Abraham should have been awarded a penalty in Aston Villa’s 1-0 win over Brighton, Keith Hackett has said.
The Villans striker was blocked off in the penalty area in the 84th minute of the Villa Park contest, sparking calls for a spot kick.
However, Peter Bankes did not give it, and the video assistant referee did not overturn his initial decision.
Luckily for Unai Emery’s side it did not matter, as a Jack Hinshelwood own goal in the 86th minute was enough to give his side all three points.
Why Hackett thinks Aston Villa should have had a penalty
Hackett believes that there is no doubt that the B6 outfit should have been awarded a chance to open the scoring from the spot after Abraham was fouled.
The former FIFA-listed official thinks that it was enough for a spot kick to be awarded, and the referee made the wrong decision with that one.
| Stats | Villa | Brighton |
| Possession | 50% | 50% |
| Shots | 15 | 9 |
| Shots on target | 1 | 3 |
| Corners | 7 | 5 |
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, he said: “This is a clear unfair impeding with a contact challenge.
“The referee should judge this in law with the award of a penalty kick”
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Why Aston Villa fans should be excited
The Villans eventually got their breakthrough, despite not being awarded the penalty which they should have been given.
The supporters should be extremely excited, as their team are not willing to give up, and will fight until the end to score.
Heads could have dropped after they were denied what looked like a blatant penalty, but they kept pushing, and the goal came in the end, and gave them the three points that they needed.
That bodes very well for their chances of qualifying for the Champions League for next season, the fact that they are not willing to lay down and take it when things are not going their way.
| Position | Played | GD | Points |
| 3. Aston Villa | 26 | +10 | 50 |
| 4. Manchester United | 26 | +10 | 45 |
| 5. Chelsea | 26 | +17 | 44 |
It also puts them in a great position, five points above Manchester United and six above Chelsea, who occupy fifth place in the division.
In an ideal world, the spot kick would have been given, but it doesn’t matter, as Emery’s side got what they deserved.
It is a brilliant time to be a Villans fan, and long may it continue.
It looks as though they will make it into Europe’s premier competition for the second time in three seasons, but there could still be twists and turns, so there is no time for complacency.
For more on the Villans, check out Football Insider‘s coverage of everything involving Emery’s side.