NOTTINGHAM, England — Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has launched a fierce critique of VAR, expressing disbelief at the decision to not issue a red card to Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson for his tackle on Ollie Watkins, labeling it “crazy.”
This incident took place late in the first half during Villa’s 1-0 loss to Forest in the first leg of their Europa League semifinal.
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During the challenge, Anderson appeared to catch Watkins’ ankle with his studs. Although Watkins did not require on-field treatment, VAR opted not to take action, a decision that Emery is demanding an explanation for.
“I felt confident in the referee’s management during the match, but upon reviewing the VAR footage of the challenge on Ollie Watkins, it’s clear a significant mistake was made,” Emery told the media.
“Ollie was close to suffering a serious injury, and it’s VAR’s responsibility to intervene in such cases. I can’t comprehend why they chose not to.”
“They owe us an explanation because this is unacceptable. The safety of players is paramount, and incidents like this can lead to serious injuries, something that was clear in the VAR footage.”
Emery stressed his ongoing support for VAR during the post-match press conference at the City Ground. “I fully support VAR, but it must be implemented correctly,” he remarked.
“An incident like this, which is so obvious, raises serious questions—where is the doubt? Where is VAR? Where is the referee? It’s baffling.”