Aston Villa have formally lodged a complaint with the PGMOL following what the club describes as a critical officiating error during their decisive 2-0 loss to Manchester United on the Premier League’s final day.
The result of the encounter saw them narrowly miss out on Champions League qualification.
Villa’s complaint centers on referee Thomas Bramall’s controversial decision to disallow a second-half goal by Morgan Rogers, citing a foul on United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir.
Meanwhile, replays showed Bayindir did not have full control of the ball, specifically, he lacked two-handed possession, when Rogers poked it free and scored.
However, Bramall had already blown the whistle, rendering VAR unable to intervene.
Just three minutes after the incident, United scored through Amad Diallo, followed by a late penalty from Christian Eriksen.
Villa ultimately lost on goal difference, finishing sixth, one point shy of the top five that would have secured Champions League football.
In a strongly worded statement, Villa criticized the PGMOL’s selection process, stating:
“With such high stakes… the club believe a more experienced referee should have been appointed. Mr. Bramall was the second least experienced referee officiating on the final day.”
Villa further condemned the inconsistency in applying VAR protocols, arguing that early whistling undermined the system’s intended purpose:
“A decision to whistle early is clearly inconsistent with current refereeing guidelines. VAR exists to ensure that these types of situations receive the scrutiny they deserve.”
While the club concedes the result cannot be reversed, it insists on a review of how referees are assigned to high-stakes matches and how VAR is implemented under pressure.
Bramall has officiated just 11 Premier League matches this season, and among Premier League referees with reduced officiating roles.
