So it’s now settled. Aston Villa have finished sixth in the Premier League. We’ve qualified for Europe — missing out on the Champions League, but securing a spot in the Europa League. But it could have been different I believe.
Villa went into the final match needing a win at Old Trafford to have a chance of Champions League football. But truth be told, we didn’t deserve to win — we just didn’t turn up. There was no energy, no enthusiasm, no spark. It doesn’t make sense — we were the form side going in. But there has to be a reason.
Martinez was sent off right at the end of the first half, which made our task even harder. It was a major factor in our defeat. Another key moment was Morgan Rogers’ disallowed goal. The United keeper didn’t have control of the ball — Rogers toe-poked it way from him and shot the ball into the open goal, but the ref had already blown for a foul, which meant VAR couldn’t review it.
Emery, I believe, could have done more to influence the performance. If the team wasn’t delivering, changes needed to come earlier. We’ve got a squad full of quality. Donyell Malen always brings energy and drive — but we didn’t see him until the 84th minute. It was already too late.
Sour grapes? Maybe. It might look that way, especially after Villa released a statement confirming the club has written to the PGMOL to raise concerns about the selection process for match officials. But what’s the point? The result won’t change. It just comes across as… sour grapes in my opinion.
The bottom line is this: we had a chance to win that match. It all comes down to decisions — and yesterday, the wrong ones from the manager and the players cost us. We have to accept that.
So you tell me — now that everything is settled, was it a successful season for Aston Villa Football Club? UTV
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