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Aston Villa had to settle for a point in their latest Champions League clash.
Villa thought they’d snatched a victory in the dying embers of the match but the late goal was ruled out after referee Jesus Gil Manzano ruled in favour of a foul on Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio. VAR stuck with the on-field decision that Diego Carlos had fouled the Italian while challenging for the ball, denying Rogers a huge moment that would have taken Villa to fifth in the Champions League standings.
The foul has been deemed soft by fans and professionals alike and the referee has come under criticism for his decision-making throughout the match.
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Michael Dawson was monitoring the Villa clash for Sky Sports and couldn’t quite believe the Premier League side had been snubbed of their late goal. Giving a run through of the ‘chaos’ on the pitch, the pundit disagreed with the decision made against Villa.
“Di Gregorio the keeper, he comes out, he goes to catch it, he drops it straight through his hands, he falls to his feet. Morgan Rogers, four yards out, open goal, 1-0. However, the keeper is lying on the floor, I don’t guess that he’s hurt, I guess that he’s embarrassed because he’s dropped an absolute howler.
“Diego Carlos has got his eyes on the ball. It’s so soft, it’s so, so soft. Diego Carlos is watching the ball, it’s coming in, the keeper comes out to claim it... it’s not a foul for me. Goalkeepers get so much protection, it’s obviously going to be given as a free-kick. I think Aston Villa are harshly done by.”
Villa have lost just one of their Champions League fixtures so far this season and their next challenge will be against RB Leipzig at the Red Bull Arena. Since losing to Liverpool in the Premier League, the Villans have settled for back-to-back draws.
The first was their 2-2 tie against Crystal Palace, which ended with Emery admitting both he and the players are concerned about the mistakes being made. He stressed that the team are ‘working on it’ as they build on avoiding being punished by opponents. Villa are back in action this weekend against Chelsea, who are looking to close in on second place in the Premier League table.
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