Aston Villa boss Unai Emery was scathing in his criticism of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) decisions in the Europa League first leg against Nottingham Forest, denouncing a tackle from Eliot Anderson.
Anderson made a sliding tackle on Ollie Watkins, winning the ball, but struck the England forward’s ankle with his studs, with VAR briefly reviewing the incident before clearing it up.
«It’s a clear red card. I don’t understand why VAR doesn’t call the referee because it’s so clear,» Emery said after Thursday’s match, which Forest won 1-0 thanks to Chris Wood’s penalty in the 71st minute.
«And it is very, very important. It is a huge, huge mistake. VAR is responsible. The referee did a fantastic job, 10 out of 10. I appreciated how he managed the match for 90 minutes.»
MATCH REPORT | Forest beat Villa in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final
«But I watched it back – wow. Huge. He could break his ankle. Wow, VAR – where are you? Please. It’s your responsibility, we are professionals. You’re doing a very poor job because it was so obvious to everyone. He could break his ankle.»
Despite the severity of the challenge, Watkins played the full 90 minutes, boosting Villa’s Champions League hopes for next season as this season draws to a close.
Watkins is Villa’s top scorer this season, scoring 15 goals in all competitions so far.
Villa, currently fifth in the Premier League, faces relegation-threatened Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Published on May 1, 2026
