(Credit: Imago)

Jacob Raw

Sun 24 May 2026 18:49, UK

The Premier League have released two statements regarding VAR decisions on goals from Ollie Watkins and Phil Foden during Aston Villa‘s 2-1 win over Manchester City on Sunday.

Villa gatecrashed Pep Guardiola’s farewell at the Etihad Stadium as it was announced earlier in the week that the Spaniard would be leaving at the end of the season following a 10-year stay.

Things got off on the right foot for the hosts through Antoine Semenyo’s first-half strike following a set-piece scenario.

However, Ollie Watkins scored a brace, with his second goal in particular being allowed after an initial offside call from referee Andy Madley.

However, Foden’s late goal against Villa was ruled out by VAR, and the Premier League have now revealed the truth behind both decisions.

Premier League’s statement on Ollie Watkins goal

Unai Emery named a surprising starting eleven against Man City, but it could probably be explained after their midweek Europa League celebrations.

The Villans looked like they were headed for a defeat that was going to label their performance as a hungover one, but Watkins made sure that this wasn’t the case.

Watkins fired Villa level straight after the resumption of the game in the second 45, before putting his side ahead on the hour mark with a close-range effort following a fast break.

The goal was initially ruled offside by referee Madley, but VAR stepped in to intervene and give Watkins his and Villa’s second, which eventually won them the contest.

As seen in the graphic above, the Premier League’s statement on X clears up the controversy surrounding the striker’s second of the affair.

What did the Premier League say about Phil Foden’s goal?

Foden thought he had salvaged a point for the hosts in stoppage time when the forward dispatched his effort after a neat pass from Mateo Kovacic.

However, the Premier League stated that VAR checked the referee’s call to give Foden’s goal, and it established that the Englishman was in an offside position.

It was the lower back of the Man City forward that was over the offside line, and as a result, Guardiola doesn’t get the perfect send off, but Emery sees his side sign off on a historic season with yet another positive.

If anything, the game highlighted the contrast of the season that Foden and Watkins have on individual levels, and why Thomas Tuchel has made the decisions that he has for England ahead of the World Cup this summer.