Reaction after Aston Villa robbed of Champions League spot away at Manchester United

National World - LocalTV

Post-match reaction from Birmingham World reporter Charlie Haffenden at Old Trafford after Manchester United 2-0 Aston Villa on the Premier League final day.

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00:00Aston Villa will be playing in the Europa League next season, rather than the Champions League after today's disappointing

00:06seasonal defeat to Manchester United on the final day of the Premier League season.

00:11An awful performance really in the first half from Aston Villa.

00:14Emmanuel Martinez getting sent off from potentially his final appearance for the club.

00:18An awful reckless challenge on Rasmus Hojland after an appalling back pass attempt from Matty Cash.

00:23And Martinez had to rush off his line, try and get to the ball.

00:26Probably should have left Hojland, to be honest, left him alone, let him round him.

00:29A difficult angle, quite far from goal, but that wasn't a decision the goalkeeper made.

00:34Went straight, flying into the striker.

00:36The referee, Thomas Bramwell, given very little choice but to send him off.

00:39In the second half, Villa actually had a quite good response, and probably the better team in the initial stages.

00:44But then there was a huge refereeing error.

00:47Morgan Rodgers thought he'd scored an opening goal, a dramatic opening goal for Aston Villa,

00:51that would have sent them to the Champions League.

00:53However, Thomas Bramwell, the referee, giving a foul on the goalkeeper, I'll say, by Andir.

00:59Rodgers came steaming in to get the ball from Byender, who kind of spilled the ball.

01:03Rodgers rounded the goalkeeper, slussed it into the net, thought he'd scored for 1-0.

01:07But, as the referee had blown for a foul before the ball hit the net, VAR could not intervene.

01:13It was a very tight call, in fairness, because the ball had hardly left Byender's grasp.

01:18But it was so, so close.

01:20It had, though.

01:21You could see it bounced off his fingertips.

01:23The ball was away from both hands.

01:25Rodgers had every single right to go for that ball.

01:27He did it fantastically.

01:28Great anticipation.

01:30And then composed, as well, to put it into an empty net.

01:32Didn't matter, though, because the referee had already given that foul.

01:35A scandalous decision, quite frankly.

01:37He should be allowing play to go on.

01:39Especially what we saw recently with Thaywa Awani, the Nottingham Forest striker, suffering

01:44a severe injury, abdominal injury, after sliding into the post, after a clear off sign was allowed

01:51to play on.

01:52We shouldn't be having decisions like this being made so immediately.

01:56It should be played on.

01:57It's not a tight off-side call.

01:58It's a contentious potential foul that really is difficult to tell from first viewing.

02:03You need a replay.

02:04You need VAR's help.

02:05That's what it's there for.

02:06But the referee stopped that from being a chance of that happening when he blew that

02:10whistle.

02:11Unai Emery admitted after the game that the referee had made an apology, that he'd admitted

02:16his mistake.

02:17But, of course, an apology isn't enough when it could cost Villa Champions League football.

02:21Ultimately, Villa not good enough today.

02:23Ahmad Diallo, of course, opened a scorer from Manchester United with a header.

02:27And then Christian Eriksen converted from the penalty spot after a sloppy foul from Ian

02:31Mattson.

02:31It was 2-0 to United.

02:33United dominated much of the game.

02:35Villa had 10 men.

02:36They shouldn't have made that error from Matty Cash.

02:38Martinez shouldn't have been so rash with his challenge with Hoyland.

02:41That's really where the game was lost.

02:43But it's utterly frustrating for Villa when they could have been 1-0 up.

02:47And at that point, if United had scored and made it 1-1, a point actually would have

02:51been enough for Champions League because Newcastle United lost to Everton, 1-0 at St.

02:55James' would have expected that result to happen.

02:58But it was going that way.

03:00Villa knew a point would have been enough.

03:01In the end, they got zero here at Old Trafford.

03:04Man United getting a rare win heading into next season with maybe a little bit of optimism.

03:09Villa delighted to secure Europe, but disappointed not to get Champions League.

03:13And in the manner it happened as well, incredibly disappointing.

03:16But onwards and upwards, Unai Emery and his men will kick on from this moment.

03:20An important summer transfer window ahead.

03:21We'll have all the latest for you on birminghamworld.uk.

03:25Make sure to stay tuned and then we'll see you again in pre-season as Villa take on the

03:282025-26 season.

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