Aston Villa’s recent 2-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield has sparked a storm of controversy, with former Liverpool striker Michael Owen and Villa manager Unai Emery voicing frustration over a key VAR decision.
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Villa were denied a penalty with Liverpool leading 1-0 when Conor Bradley appeared to pull Pau Torres to the ground inside the penalty area. Despite a review, VAR chose not to advise referee David Coote to re-evaluate the incident on the pitchside monitor.
Owen was vocal about his disagreement with the decision, labeling it a “stonewall penalty.” Speaking to Premier League Productions, Owen said, “It’s a penalty, you can’t do that. Pau Torres is in position at the front post and gets dragged out by his shirt. Even if the ball goes elsewhere, it’s still a blatant pull. I’m astonished that VAR didn’t intervene to give the penalty.”
The incident came at a crucial moment in the game, with Villa trailing by just one goal. Liverpool ultimately extended their lead through Mohamed Salah, securing a 2-0 victory and a five-point cushion at the top of the Premier League. But for Villa, the missed opportunity felt costly.
Unai Emery echoed Owen’s sentiment, emphasizing the impact of VAR’s non-intervention on the match. “I only saw the Pau Torres action,” Emery explained. “For me, with VAR, it was clearly a penalty because there was a shirt pull on Pau Torres. In European games, this is consistently given as a penalty, but here in England, VAR’s role seems inconsistent.”
While Emery accepted the result and expressed respect for the referees, he acknowledged that the denied penalty was a pivotal moment. “If we had been awarded the penalty, it could have changed the outcome of the game,” Emery added. “I don’t agree with the decision, but I have faith in my players, and we’ll move forward from here.”
With the controversy lingering, Liverpool’s victory leaves them five points clear at the top of the table. However, Villa fans and pundits alike are left questioning the standards for VAR intervention in the Premier League and how such decisions may affect the outcome of tightly contested matches.
