On 73 minutes a moment thatAston Villawill argue for a long time cost them the bumper prize of Champions League football next season and its lucrative cash injection of millions.
A weak Harry Maguire header had Altay Bayindir scrambling to collect. As he did, Morgan Rogers prodded the ball from his clutches – the goalkeeper did not have it under control – and the forward found the empty net.
Cue pandemonium as the referee, Thomas Bramall, had blown his whistle before the strike so VAR could not intervene, and so cue, too, Unai Emery and his players going ballistic at the referee and his officials as the match remained scoreless.
This being the funniest of old games, what happened next was predictable. A Bruno Fernandes cross was met by Amad Diallo’s head, Robin Olsen, on for the sent off Emiliano Martínez, was beaten in Villa’s goal and Emery’s men were down to sixth – despite Newcastle losing to Everton.
A madcap end to the contest next featured Ian Maatsen taking down Diallo as the wideman surged into the area and Bramall awarding a penalty that drew sarcastic Emery applause.
Christian Eriksen converted and the home congregation offered gleeful waves to Villa’s own.
At 2-0 up, then, the visitors’ Champions League hopes rested on a comeback in eight added minutes. It did not happen and so at the end Villa were heartbroken, with a surely furious Emery about to cite the Rogers-Bayindir farrago as killing them.
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As Bramall reached the tunnel Emery waited for him: obviously not to enquire about the referee’s health.
And for United: their bid to avoid 17th was successful as they finished in the vertigo-inducing heights of 15th.