Newcastle United pipped Aston Villa to Champions League qualification on the final day of the 2024-25 season.
Villa were reduced to 10 men on the brink of half-time when goalkeeper Emi Martínez was shown a straight red card. Still, Unai Emery’s side thought they had taken the lead in the second-half when Morgan Rogers found the net.
Rogers nudged the ball away from goalkeeper Altay Bayindir before curling the ball into an open net, only for referee Thomas Bramall to disallow the goal for a foul.
Bayindir was deemed to be in control of the ball when Rogers gained possession, though replays showed he did not have both hands on the ball. Because Bramall blew his whistle before Rodgers' shot crossed the goal line, VAR was unable to intervene.
After Newcastle lost 1-0 to Everton at St James’ Park, Emery’s men only needed a point to clinch a Champions League place at the Magpies’ expense. Shortly after the Rogers incident, Amad Diallo opened the scoring for Man United before Christian Eriksen scored a late penalty.
Eddie Howe’s side join Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea in the top five, piping Villa on goal difference. T
Aston Villa send complaint to PGMOL after Newcastle United seal Champions League football
Villa wasted little time in issuing an official complaint to the PGMOL, where they questioned the decision to assign Bramall as match referee.
The statement 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 2nd 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.
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“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.”
What have the Premier League said?
The Premier League or PGMOL are yet to respond to the complaint, although they have already given an official explanation for the decision.
The Premier League Match Centre account on X, which explains VAR decisions, wrote: “The referee’s call was a free kick to Manchester United with Bayindir deemed to be in control of the ball before Rogers gained possession. The whistle was blown by the referee before the ball entered the goal, therefore the incident was not reviewable by the VAR.”
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