Aston Villa's recent match against Liverpool saw a controversial decision that has sparked debate. Former FIFA and Premier League official Keith Hackett believes Villa should have been awarded a penalty when Pau Torres was pulled down in the box. Hackett described the incident as a significant error in officiating, stating that it was a clear penalty kick that VAR failed to address.
The incident occurred in the second half when the score was 1-0, with Torres being brought down by Conor Bradley. Despite this, VAR upheld the on-field decision, and referee David Coote was not sent to the monitor to review the play. Villa ultimately lost the match 2-0, with goals from Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah, leaving them in ninth position in the Premier League table.
Adding to Villa's frustrations, another penalty incident involving Ollie Watkins was deemed an act of simulation by Hackett. He disagreed with this assessment, arguing that it was a clear penalty as Watkins was held inside the box. Hackett expressed disappointment that VAR did not intervene to correct the decision.
In other news, a pundit has named three Aston Villa stars who he believes are superior to Marcus Rashford, highlighting the strong performances of the Villa squad this season.