By KBC Associate 
Aston Villa have lodged an official complaint to the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) following what they deemed a crucial error by referee Thomas Bramall during their 2-0 defeat at Manchester United, a result that saw them narrowly miss out on Champions League qualification.
The controversy erupted when, with the match still goalless and Villa down to 10 players after Emiliano Martinez was dismissed, Morgan Rogers appeared to put Villa ahead.
Rogers managed to poke the ball away from United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir inside the box and slot it into the net.
However, Bramall judged that Bayindir had secured the ball with both hands, blowing his whistle for a foul before the ball crossed the line, despite replays showing otherwise.
Since play had been stopped prior to the goal, VAR was unable to review the decision.
Almost immediately after the disallowed goal, Amad Diallo opened the scoring for United, and Christian Eriksen’s late penalty sealed the win.
The loss saw Villa finish sixth on goal difference, missing out on a coveted Champions League spot.
Aston Villa can confirm the club has written to the PGMOL to raise concerns over the selection process of match officials following today’s game with Manchester United at Old Trafford.
With such high stakes surrounding today’s fixture, the club believe a more experienced referee… pic.twitter.com/Ma09U4glOQ
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) May 25, 2025
Damian Vidagany, Villa’s director of football operations, voiced the club’s fury in his post-match comments: “We are going to send a complaint. The complaint is not about the decision, it is about the selection of the referee – one of the most inexperienced referees in the Premier League.
“It’s not about the decision, clearly it was a mistake. The complaint is about the referee. The problem is why the international referees were not here today.”
Initially, Villa planned to address their concerns to the Premier League but later confirmed they had written directly to PGMOL instead. In their letter, Villa argued that a “more experienced referee” should have overseen such a high-stakes match.
“Of the 10 referees to officiate across the Premier League today, Mr Bramall was the second least experienced,” the club’s statement read.
“The decision to disallow Morgan Rogers’ goal, which would have given the club a 1-0 lead with 17 minutes remaining in the match, was a major contributing factor to the club not qualifying for the Champions League.
“We acknowledge the outcome will not change, but we believe it is important to address the selection methodology to ensure high-stakes matches are treated as such with regards to officiating and to ensure the implemented VAR technology is allowed to be effective.”
Bramall, who made his Premier League debut in August 2022, has officiated 11 top-flight matches and 12 Championship games this season.
Villa manager Unai Emery was visibly frustrated by the controversial calls, especially the disallowed goal and United’s late spot-kick. After the match, he said: “The TV is clear but, of course, we have to accept it. It was a mistake. A big mistake.”