Joe Cole says Aston Villa players will be ‘seething’ at Morgan Rogers decision, club confirm complaint to PGMOL about selection process of officials

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Joe Cole said that Aston Villa's players would be "seething" after being denied the lead against Manchester United, after Morgan Rogers was controversially deemed to have kicked the ball out of the hands of goalkeeper Altay Bayindir in the build up. VAR was unable to intervene with the call as referee Thomas Bramall blew his whistle before the ball went into the goal.

Highlights: Villa miss out on UCL after hugely contentious loss to Man Utd

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Joe Cole said Aston Villa’s players would be "seething" as the club filed a complaint to the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) over a refereeing "mistake" in their 2-0 defeat at Manchester United on Sunday.

With the score 0-0 midway through the second half, Villa’s Morgan Rogers had a goal ruled out, after the attacker was controversially deemed to have kicked the ball out of the hands of United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir in the build up.

While the decision appeared to be contentious, VAR was unable to intervene because referee Thomas Bramall blew his whistle for a foul before Rogers’ strike had crossed the line.

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Moments later Unai Emery’s men, who would have secured a UEFA Champions League spot with a draw, conceded to Amad Diallo's header, before Christian Eriksen confirmed United’s victory from the spot.

On the decision, TNT Sports pundit Joe Cole stressed that Villa would be "seething" because of Bramall’s "mistake".

"The referee got it wrong," Cole said. "It was a crucial moment, Villa would have gone 1-0 up with 15 minutes to go and that would have changed the perspective of the game.

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"Ultimately, Aston Villa, who have been brilliant in the last few months, just didn’t turn up today.

"They will be seething in that dressing room because the referee did make a mistake. It’s a tough pill to swallow for Aston Villa, for their staff, players and their supporters."

Villa lodge complaint

With Villa having to settle for UEFA Europa League football next term, the club’s director of football operations Damian Vidagany said in a post-match press-conference that the club would be lodging a complaint with PGMOL about the selection of Bramall, who they deemed to be "inexperienced".

"The complaint is not about the decision," Vidagany said. "The complaint is about the selection of the referees. One of the most inexperienced referees for one of the most difficult matches of the season involving another four or five teams.

"It's not about the decision. The decision is clear. It's a mistake. The referee apologised for the mistake. We can do nothing. The problem is why the experienced international referees were not here today."

Villa subsequently released a statement which read: "Aston Villa can confirm the club has written to the PGMOL to raise concerns over the selection process of match officials following today’s game with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

"With such high stakes surrounding today’s fixture, the club believe a more experienced referee should have been appointed. Of the 10 referees to officiate across the Premier League today, Mr. Bramall was the second least experienced.

"The decision to disallow Morgan Rogers' goal, which would have given the club a 1-0 lead with 17 minutes remaining in the match, was a major contributing factor to the club not qualifying for the Champions League.

"As per the standards that have been established over the course of the season, a decision to whistle early is clearly inconsistent with current refereeing guidelines. VAR exists to ensure that these types of situations receive the scrutiny they deserve. Unfortunately, the technology was not allowed to serve its purpose.

"Ultimately, we acknowledge that the outcome for us will not change, but we believe that it is important to address the selection methodology to ensure that high-stakes matches are treated as such with regards to officiating and to ensure that the implemented VAR technology is allowed to be effective."

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