‘Not fair’ – Unai Emery lets loose after VAR costs Tammy Abraham dream goal on Aston Villa return

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery expressed his frustration after Tammy Abraham’s disallowed goal in Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Brentford, insisting it should have stood.

It could have been a dream second debut for Abraham. He celebrated with joy after scoring on the rebound from a saved Jadon Sancho effort — only for VAR to intervene, ruling the goal out due to an incident elsewhere on the pitch.

The controversy stemmed from a moment involving Leon Bailey, who slipped near the corner flag. It was unclear whether the ball had fully gone out of play, with multiple angles inconclusive.

Despite this, VAR judged the earlier play to have invalidated Abraham’s strike — a decision reminiscent of other high-profile Premier League VAR controversies, such as Kaoru Mitoma’s goal for Japan against Spain or the Newcastle-Arsenal incident.

Adding to the debate, the incident occurred roughly 20 seconds before Abraham’s finish and at the opposite end of the field, meaning Villa had completed an entire attacking sequence before the goal.

Emery, who rarely criticizes referees, did not hold back in his post-match press conference. He felt the decision was unfair, as the goal could have earned Villa a point — and potentially inspired a comeback.

“I think it is not fair,” Emery said. “If the assistant is watching it, there are many small actions and circumstances that can change a goal. Of course, I accept it, but for me, it is not fair.

“The referees are under huge pressure to get everything right. If there is something to improve, I know they will. It’s not fair, but it happened, and we must accept it.

“My explanation is that the goal came long after the initial incident. If the linesman didn’t see it, the game should continue.

It’s difficult for VAR to judge this goal — it was so tight. But when VAR asks the referee, in this case, that shouldn’t happen.

“I can’t say anything more. It is football, and Brentford played fantastically, even with one player less. We are frustrated and disappointed with the referee and VAR, but maybe next time we can win matches like that.”