Aston Villa fought back to secure a fantastic victory over Chelsea, but according to former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett, they should have been awarded a penalty.
Unai Emery’s team were behind 1-0 at halftime after Enzo Fernandez’s early ninth-minute goal on Saturday at Villa Park. However, Villa made a strong comeback, with Marco Asensio scoring twice after the break, assisted by Marcus Rashford, as they turned the game around.
There was, however, a controversial moment when the score was 1-1, which might have made things even easier for Villa if referee Michael Oliver and VAR official Paul Tierney had made a different call. Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella was seen holding Lamare Bogarde’s shirt inside the penalty area, an incident that could have resulted in a penalty.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, Hackett believed Villa were unfairly denied, stating that a penalty should have been awarded. He commented, “This is a clear holding offence inside the penalty area. A penalty kick should have been awarded to Aston Villa.”
Despite this, the controversy didn’t affect Villa’s performance as they displayed excellent play to complete the comeback against Chelsea. The season has brought both joy and disappointment, but with Champions League football now on the horizon, Villa are in a great position. They’re not far off the top four, and with an FA Cup fifth-round tie against Cardiff City and a Champions League last-16 match against Club Brugge ahead, there’s plenty to be excited about.
Thanks to some strategic winter signings like Rashford and Asensio, Villa’s prospects for the rest of the season look promising, with much to look forward to between now and May.
Exclusive: Ex-PGMOL chief reacts to controversial Aston Villa v Chelsea footage
