Emery Rages at VAR After Anderson Escapes Red Card in Villa's Europa League Loss

Key facts

• Nottingham Forest beat Aston Villa 1-0 in the Europa League semi-final first leg at the City Ground.
• Chris Wood scored a 71st-minute penalty awarded via VAR after Lucas Digne handled Omari Hutchinson's cross.
• Elliot Anderson avoided a red card for a high, studs-up challenge on Ollie Watkins that caught the Villa striker's ankle.
• Referee Joao Pinheiro did not penalize Anderson; VAR review was brief and cleared the incident.
• Unai Emery called the VAR decision a 'huge, huge mistake' and said the official was 'so, so bad'.
• Emery praised referee Pinheiro's overall performance, giving him a '10 out of 10' rating.
• Villa have now lost successive matches in all competitions for the third time this season.
• Emery lost a Europa League semi-final first leg for the first time since 2014.

Lede: A Controversial Tackle and a Costly Defeat

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery delivered a furious critique of the video assistant referee after Elliot Anderson escaped a red card for a dangerous tackle on Ollie Watkins, a decision that overshadowed his side's 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest in the Europa League semi-final first leg at the City Ground on Thursday. The loss leaves Villa needing to overturn a deficit in the second leg to reach the final, but Emery's post-match ire focused squarely on the VAR's failure to intervene in the first-half incident.

The Incident: Anderson's Challenge and VAR's Inaction

In the 30th minute, Anderson slid into a tackle on Watkins, playing the ball but then rolling over it and catching the Villa striker's ankle with a high, studs-up challenge. Referee Joao Pinheiro allowed play to continue, and the subsequent VAR check was brief, clearing the tackle without recommending a review. Emery, speaking to TNT Sports, described the challenge as a 'clear red card' and expressed bewilderment that the VAR did not call Pinheiro to the monitor. 'He could break his ankle,' Emery said. 'VAR, where are you? Please. It is your responsibility, we are professionals. You are doing very bad work because it was so clear for everybody.'

Emery's Contrasting Views on Referee and VAR

While Emery reserved his harshest words for the VAR, he went out of his way to praise the on-field referee, Joao Pinheiro, calling his performance 'fantastic' and awarding him a '10 out of 10' rating. 'The referee – fantastic, fantastic job,' Emery said. 'I appreciated how he managed the match for 90 minutes.' This distinction underscored Emery's belief that the error lay solely with the video assistant, not the man in the middle. He repeated his criticism in the post-match news conference, still seething about the decision that he felt could have seriously injured Watkins.

The Penalty Decision That Decided the Match

The only goal of the game came from a penalty awarded after a VAR review in the 71st minute. Lucas Digne was penalized for handling a cross from Omari Hutchinson, though the initial decision was not given as the ball appeared to have gone behind for a goal-kick before Hutchinson hooked it back. Replays showed the Forest player had kept the ball in play, and Chris Wood converted the spot-kick to give Forest a 1-0 lead. Emery accepted the penalty decision, saying he had not watched it but that 'everyone is telling me it's a penalty.'

Historical Context: Emery's Unblemished Record Ends

The defeat marked the first time Emery had lost a leg of a Europa League semi-final since his Sevilla team fell 3-1 at Valencia in May 2014. Before Thursday, he had gone unbeaten in eight straight semi-final matches in the competition, winning six and drawing two. Villa's loss also extended a difficult run: they have now suffered successive defeats in all competitions for the third time this season, following a 1-0 Premier League loss to Fulham on Saturday. It was only the second time Villa have failed to win in the Europa League this season, the other being a 2-1 defeat to Go Ahead Eagles on matchday three of the league phase.

Outlook: Emery Confident of a Fightback

Despite the setback, Emery expressed confidence that Villa can overturn the deficit in the second leg. The Spaniard has a proven track record in the competition, having won the Europa League four times as a manager. However, the VAR controversy has added an extra layer of tension to the tie, with Emery demanding an explanation for the non-call on Anderson. 'He must give us an explanation,' Emery said, though he did not specify from whom. The second leg at Villa Park will determine whether Emery's side can recover from a first-leg loss for the first time in his Europa League semi-final career.

The bottom line

• Elliot Anderson avoided a red card for a dangerous tackle on Ollie Watkins, a decision Unai Emery called a 'huge, huge mistake' by VAR.
• Chris Wood's penalty, awarded after a VAR check for handball, gave Nottingham Forest a 1-0 win in the Europa League semi-final first leg.
• Emery praised referee Joao Pinheiro's performance but condemned the VAR, saying the official was 'so, so bad'.
• The defeat was Emery's first loss in a Europa League semi-final leg since 2014, ending an eight-match unbeaten run.
• Villa have now lost consecutive matches in all competitions for the third time this season, following a 1-0 Premier League defeat to Fulham.
• Emery remains confident Villa can overturn the deficit in the second leg at Villa Park.