Aston Villa missed out on Champions League qualification on the final day of the season in controversial circumstances to say the least.
Emi Martinez was sent off during the game, just a week on from crying on the pitch and saying his goodbyes at Villa Park, but the most controversial moment of the match was later in the game.
Morgan Rogers scored what appeared to be a legitimate goal, but the referee blew for a foul on Altay Bayindir.
Due to the sequence of events, VAR couldn’t intervene to change this decision, and, in turn, Aston Villa have made a complaint to PGMOL.
Speaking on the Kelly and Wrighty Show, Ian Wright and Michael Owen have been discussing this incident and Villa’s complaint.
Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Ian Wright angry after Aston Villa’s PGMOL complaint
Wright was very much behind Aston Villa on this one, describing what happened on Sunday as a ‘massive mistake’.
Michael Owen noted that Villa’s complaint is unlikely to lead to anything, and Wright was not happy with this reality, claiming that that’s wrong as well.
“It was a massive, massive mistake that was,” Wright said.
“They’ve made a complaint as well Villa, but it isn’t going to go anywhere, is it? They’ve insinuated that,” Owen said.
“That’s wrong as well in itself, they’ve been wronged,” Wright said.
Ian Wright is one of the most balanced and fair pundits out there, and even he can’t defend PGMOL at times.
Indeed, Wright has previously had problems with PGMOL, notably after Myles Lewis-Skelly’s red card vs Wolves earlier this season.
Wright really doesn’t like the lack of accountability from referees in the Premier League.
“So when he went off again I thought it won’t make any difference because there will be no accountability for it,” Wright said.
“They will just twist it with their words the PGMOL and say it’s the letter of the law. When it happens as often as it does with Arsenal and their fans you can understand why they feel aggrieved by it. They’re going to feel like why is it always us and why are we still getting this guy on our games.”
Refereeing has dominated so many conversations in the Premier League this season, and something really needs to change in the way games are being officiated at the moment, because this shouldn’t be a topic of conversation every single week.