Ex-Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher dropped his clear-cut assessment on the contentious incident in Manchester United’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday.
Ruben Amorim rotated his Manchester United first-team squad on the weekend for the Red Devils’ final Premier League match of their woeful 2024-25 campaign.
Andre Onana was left out of the United squad and Altay Bayindir took his place between the sticks for the Red Devils’ encounter with Aston Villa at Old Trafford.
Villa were reduced to 10 men against United before half-time after Emiliano Martinez was shown a red card following his collision with Red Devils striker Rasmus Hojlund.
United built momentum against Villa in the second half and Ruben Amorim’s men broke the deadlock at Old Trafford through Amad Diallo in the 76th minute.
The Red Devils ensured all three Premier League points on Sunday after Christian Eriksen, who came off the bench, scored from the spot kick in the 87th minute.
United’s 2-0 win over Villa at home moved the Red Devils to 15th place in the league table, with the club suffering their worst finish in the Premier League era.
The Red Devils will be without European football for the 2025-26 campaign due to their league standing and United’s defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final.
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Photo by Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images
Photo by Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images
Dermot Gallagher reacts to ‘debate’ around Morgan Rogers and Altay Bayindir in Man Utd’s Premier League tie vs Aston Villa
Aston Villa almost stunned Manchester United in the second half when the scoreline was 0-0 at Old Trafford after a howler from Altay Bayindir on Sunday evening.
Bayindir made a reckless attempt to clear the ball after sliding in and Morgan Rogers was able to dispossess the United shot-stopper and put his shot in the back of the net.
However, referee Thomas Bramall had disallowed the strike from Morgan Rogers before he scored after deeming that he had kicked the ball out of Bayindir’s hands.
The replays showed that Bayindir had failed to keep the ball and Rogers had not committed a challenge on the 27-year-old Turkey international during the incident.
But VAR was unable to intervene and overturn Thomas Bramall’s decision due to the Premier League referee already blowing his whistle before Rogers scored for Villa.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, Dermot Gallagher said: “There’s a lot of things to debate.
“The goalkeeper loses the ball, but once the referee blows his whistle the game is terminated – that’s where the damage is done. Rogers’ shot doesn’t count.
“If the referee takes just one second the landscape, then moves and VAR can intervene.
“Once VAR intervenes, he may have changed his decision at the screen. It’s very untidy.
“The VAR checks when the whistle was blown, not the goal. That’s the key issue.”
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Dermot Gallagher’s verdict on Thomas Bramall over Morgan Rogers and Altay Bayindir in Man Utd vs Aston Villa at Old Trafford
Gallagher suggested that the “only mistake” that Thomas Bramall made in his eyes over the incident was not waiting before he blew his whistle to make his call.
“If he had waited, the time is still his own and he can make as many decisions as he wants,” he added.
“He can ask his assistants. Then he can ask VAR. He may have said, ‘it’s a foul’, which we would have accepted.
“He just didn’t give himself time to think – that’s his only mistake.”
Villa have confirmed that they have submitted a complaint to the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) after the 2-0 defeat to United on the weekend.
Unai Emery’s men finished outside of the top five and sixth-place Villa have now missed out on Champions League football for the 2025-26 season.