Aston Villa manager Unai Emery condemns VAR inaction over studs-up challenge

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has publicly condemned the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for failing to issue a red card to Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson following a match in the Europa League semi-final first leg. Emery described the missed decision as a "huge mistake" and a "clear red card" incident, stating that the challenge by Anderson on Ollie Watkins involved studs-up and could have broken Watkins' ankle. While the on-field referee, Joao Pinheiro, was praised for his management, Emery argued that the VAR team was negligent in reviewing the incident and failing to intervene.

The criticism emerged during and after the post-match press conference, where Emery expressed frustration that the review appeared very brief before the incident was cleared. He questioned the responsibility of the officials, asking where they were during the review, noting that the action was clear for everyone to see. Emery emphasised that the VAR has a huge responsibility to intervene in such cases, stating that the failure to do so was bad work.

This outburst contrasts with Emery's previous statements regarding the technology. In October 2023, the manager had described VAR as good for football and noted that it helps the referee. More recently, in December 2024, following a different incident involving Jhon Duran, he reiterated that while he supports VAR, it must be used effectively. He noted that in the current match, the red card was clear for the referee straight away, yet the system failed to act.

The match concluded 1-0 to Nottingham Forest, who secured a penalty via a separate VAR decision awarded to Forest after Lucas Digne handled the ball, which Chris Wood converted. Emery accepted the penalty decision, distinguishing it from the red card issue. He praised the on-field referee for a fantastic job managing the match for 90 minutes, awarding him a 10 out of 10, while reserving his harshest words for the VAR team's inaction regarding the studs-up challenge.

Emery maintained his stance on the red card issue throughout the post-match proceedings, despite initially accepting the penalty decision. He argued that while tight decisions happen in football, this specific action left no doubt and required immediate intervention from the video assistant referee. His comments highlighted a growing tension between the manager's support for the technology and his expectations for its consistent and effective application in high-stakes matches.