Aston Villa chief points finger at Man Utd star after controversial incident | Football

Aston Villa’s Director of Football Operations has hit out at the controversial decision to let Manchester United’s equaliser on Sunday stand.

A thrilling contest at Old Trafford finished 4-4 as the home side scored twice in stoppage time to rescue an unlikely point.

Villa went 2-0 ahead within five minutes thanks to goals from Alysson and Nicolas Jackson, before Bruno Fernandes and Youri Tielemans leveled things up before the break.

The Red Devils started the second half as badly as they did the first as John McGinn scored from the penalty spot before Leon Goretzka made it 4-2 on 53 minutes.

As the clock ticked past 90 minutes it looked bleak for Michael Carrick, but substitutes Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu scored in injury time to give the home fans something to cheer.

Dorgu’s headed goal was not without controversy as Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki claimed he was impeded by his opposite number Senne Lammens who was up for the corner.

Manchester United legend Roy Keane did not think it was a foul by the Belgian, saying on Sky Sports: ‘I don’t think Suzuki gives himself the best chance of getting it, he’s underneath it, just take a step back and attack it. There are bodies in the way, but there’s lots going on, football is a contact sport. I have no problem with it.

‘A goalkeeper in this situation, he should take command of it. If he’s talking about getting blocked and pushed, why doesn’t he do that to the opposition players?

‘He’s got to come and be aggressive. When the ball comes in he’s on his heels. He’s got to be more aggressive and take command of that six-yard box.’

The incident will split opinion as Lammens seemed to look at Suzuki, turn his back to him and then purposefully nudge him with no attempt to play the ball.

That was certainly the stance of Damian Vidagany, who says referees had vowed to be harsher on such incidents.

Posting on X, Villa’s Director of Football Operations wrote: ‘To put in context this convenient narrative of “contact sport” we’ve been told by referees during the summer that this season to go to unbalance or push the GK on purpose on the six hard box was not going to be allowed anymore.

‘Lammens not even look at the ball, went straight to do a contact with the hip over Zion.

‘Having said that we played good match and we must do better than last 6 minutes. We will do and we will improve. But the rules are the rules and must be respected. That is a fact.’

Villa boss Unai Emery said his 24-year-old goalkeeper, who arrived from Parma over the summer, is still getting used to Premier League officiating, which is different to elsewhere.

‘When we are conceding the last goal in this corner, it is adaptation,’ he told Sky Sports. ‘Adaptation to the Premier League for Zion to settle here well. He must try to, because it is not the same timing. Here is not foul. They are pushing, they are disturbing the keeper.

‘Of course, in another countries, another leagues, they are not permitting it. Here, yes. We have to continue analysing, having experiences, and trying to avoid situation like we conceded.’

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