Aston Villa: Premier League release statement on controversial Ross Barkley goal vs Man United
Manchester United may have felt aggrieved that Ross Barkley’s goal in Aston Villa’s 3-1 loss on Sunday
The Villans were beaten in what was an all-important Premier League clash for both sides, in their hopes of securing a top-four finish.
Unai Emery’s side pulled one back against the hosts when Barkley buried a left-footed finish in his first league start of the campaign, but it came with controversy.
Manchester United argued that Amadou Onana was impeding the sight of their goalkeeper, Senne Lammens, for the goal, as VAR also checked if the ball hit the Aston Villa man on the way in.
What did the Premier League say about Ross Barkley’s goal?
A lengthy VAR check confirmed that there was no conclusive footage to prove that Onana touched the ball after Barkley’s effort.
It also confirmed that the Villa midfielder was not having a big impact on Lammens’ view of the ball, despite being in an offside psoiton.
The Premier League’s Match Centre account on X then released their verdict on why the goal stood.
Unfortunately for Emery’s side, the goal didn’t have a significant impact on the overall scoreline, as the Villans desperately need to go back to the drawing board to reassess their current on-field performances.
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These stats vs Man Utd show why Champions League is off table for Aston Villa
The Villans had 47 per cent possession against United but didn’t create many goal-scoring chances. Nine shots were seen, only two test Lammens between Man United’s goal as two big chances were missed.
It’s clearer than ever that Villa’s attack is letting them down time and time again, as Ollie Watkins had multiple opportunities to score in the first 45.
| Shots | 9 |
| Shots on target | 2 |
| Big chances missed | 2 |
| xG created | 1.02 |
When the chances do arise, Emery’s men aren’t clinical enough, as more often than not, the Villa boss actually coaches his side to a win.
He’s being badly let down, as he and Roberto Olabe need to sit down and freshen things up in the final third this summer.
For more Villa matchday stories, visit Football Insider for fresh updates on Unai Emery’s team.