Morgan Rogers booked by Thomas Bramall
Morgan Rogers booked by Thomas Bramall
Aston Villa narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification on Sunday night after a 2-0 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford.
The result alone didn’t capture the full story of what was a dramatic final day in the Premier League.
Villa were reduced to 10 men late in the first half when Emi Martínez was sent off. Moments earlier, Morgan Rogers had a perfectly legal goal controversially ruled out - a goal that would likely have secured the club a place in the top five.
Newcastle United lost 1-0 at home to Everton, meaning Villa only needed to avoid defeat. But after a costly refereeing error by Thomas Bramall, which denied Rogers’ goal, Villa conceded twice and their Champions League hopes slipped away.
Scandalous decision costs Villa
Just minutes after Rogers thought he had put Villa ahead, Amad Diallo opened the scoring for United with a header from Bruno Fernandes’ cross. Christian Eriksen then doubled the hosts' lead late on after Ian Maatsen fouled Amad in the box.
Replays clearly showed that United goalkeeper Altay Bayındır did not have two hands on the ball when Rogers scored. Bramall, despite having a clear view, blew the whistle - knowing that VAR couldn't intervene once the play was stopped.
It was a basic refereeing error that should never happen, especially not on a day of such consequence.
Rogers was replaced by Donyell Malen in the 84th minute, with Villa trailing 1-0. After applauding the travelling Villa fans tucked into the corner, Rogers - visibly furious - had a few choice words to say to fourth official Bobby Madley before taking a seat on the bench.
Bafflingly, of the 10 referees assigned to Premier League matches on Sunday, Bramall was the second least experienced - a fact Villa highlighted in their post-match statement.
With only three matches carrying real stakes, the Premier League’s decision to appoint Bramall to such a high-pressure fixture raises serious questions.
Qualification for the Champions League league phase earns clubs over £15m alone, while Villa made a total of £75m in total after finishing in the top eight.
This season's Europa League runners up, United, earned around £26m in prize money prior to losing the final in Bilbao. It shows the vast sums which could have been up for grabs had Villa returned to the Champions League.
Villa could have avoided controversy
On the other hand, some fans were more frustrated by Villa’s underwhelming performance.
They could easily have been two goals down within the first 15 minutes - against a United side that had just lost the Europa League final and had little left to play for.
Yet it was United who looked the sharper team. Villa, who had everything to play for - prestige, pride, and a huge financial boost from Champions League qualification - came out flat.
Despite United’s recent struggles, Villa have now failed to beat them in six consecutive matches across all competitions - losing five - since Unai Emery's debut win in November 2022.
There’s no denying the magnitude of Bramall’s blunder, but Villa could have made it irrelevant with a better display. The red card didn’t help either.
A poor back-pass from Matty Cash allowed Rasmus Højlund to pounce, and Martínez rashly brought him down - a decision that carried obvious risk and ultimately cost Villa further.
Dealing with high-stakes and pressure
Earlier this season, there was debate among fans: Would you rather win the FA Cup or qualify for the Champions League? As the season progressed, my answer became clearer - Villa must develop a winning mentality, one that sees them over the line in big moments.
Winning a trophy is certainly the most effective way to nurture that elite mindset.
Matches against Fulham, Bournemouth, and Tottenham were treated like finals - but so was Sunday’s match at Old Trafford.
And Villa weren’t good enough, just as they weren’t in the FA Cup semi-final loss to Crystal Palace, the away leg at Monaco, or either leg against Olympiacos.
Last season’s late collapse was largely due to injuries. This year, that excuse doesn’t apply.
Some fans have questioned whether the squad is mentally ready to handle pressure when it truly matters.
Emery himself will be aware that his group of players haven't always reached the heights they can in some of the high-stakes games.
Europa League opportunity awaits
It’s difficult to find positives after Sunday’s collapse. A single goal from Nottingham Forest could’ve even dropped Villa further in the table.
Still, Villa have clearly progressed. They’ve outgrown the Europa Conference League, reaching the Champions League quarter-finals and proving their European credentials.
Next season, Thursday night football returns. And unlike the Conference League, the Europa League offers a direct path to Champions League qualification. Emery, a four-time winner of the competition, will see this as another genuine shot at silverware - and redemption.
But less than 24 hours after missing out on the Champions League - due in large part to a scandalous refereeing decision - it’s hard to look too far ahead.
Claret & Blue verdict
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Aston Villa away kit
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