It’s so, so bad” – Emery slams VAR after Villa’s defeat to Forest
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery heavily criticized VAR following his team's 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest in the Europa League semi-final first leg. He expressed frustration over the officials' failure to send off Elliot Anderson for a challenge on Ollie Watkins, calling it a clear red card. Emery questioned both the decision and player safety, arguing that the incident undermined the integrity of the match.
- ▪Aston Villa lost 1-0 to Nottingham Forest in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final.
- ▪Unai Emery condemned VAR for not overturning the on-field decision to allow Elliot Anderson to remain in the game after a studs-up challenge on Ollie Watkins.
- ▪Emery stated the tackle was a clear red card and expressed concern about player safety, saying Watkins could have broken his ankle.
- ▪The referee did not issue a card during the incident, and VAR chose not to intervene after review.
- ▪Nottingham Forest scored later in the match, capitalizing on playing with a full team.
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