Unai Emery’s frustration boiled over after Aston Villa’s 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, as he vehemently protested a crucial missed penalty opportunity late in the match. The Villa boss was particularly upset with referee Andy Madley and the VAR team for not reviewing what he believed was a clear foul.
The contentious moment came when Youri Tielemans appeared to be held by Brennan Johnson inside the penalty box during a late set-piece. Despite the apparent handball and hold, no penalty was awarded. Emery was especially irked since VAR had previously taken time reviewing a possible penalty for Johnson in the opposite half, yet failed to check the incident involving Tielemans.
Speaking after the match, Emery stated, “I respect the referees, but they must check the action on Youri Tielemans. It is a potential penalty. I don’t know who is in VAR, but if they reviewed Johnson’s possible penalty, which was clear for me, then Tielemans’ corner incident should have been reviewed as well. He was being held for several seconds. I think that’s a clear action.”
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Despite Palace applying pressure in the second half, Villa came closest to securing victory. Ollie Watkins notably hit the post with a header and had two other scoring chances in the first half. Meanwhile, Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell was fortunate not to concede a penalty after the ball struck his hand twice before the break. At the other end, Lucas Digne made a crucial defensive intervention to deny Palace’s Justin Devenny.
The stalemate leaves Aston Villa frustrated, as they continue to struggle for wins, failing to secure a victory in their last eight matches. Emery’s anger highlights the thin margins in football and the still-debated role of VAR in critical game moments.