Aston Villa lodge official complaint over appointment of referee Thomas Bramall after final day loss to Man Utd that saw Morgan Rogers goal controversially ruled out and Emi Martinez sent off

Villa have made an official complaint to the Premier League over the selection of Thomas Bramall as the referee for their clash with Manchester United on the final day of the season. The club believe that a more experienced official should have been selected, given the stakes underpinning the game; Villa needed to win to have a chance of qualifying for the Champions League but were beaten 2-0 at Old Trafford.

In the first half, Emiliano Martinez was sent off for a wild challenge on Rasmus Hojlund while outside of the box. In the second, meanwhile, Morgan Rogers saw a goal ruled out after poking the ball away from goalkeeper Altay Bayindir and finishing, but referee Bramall had already blown for a free-kick so the decision was not able to be reviewed by VAR. The score was 0-0 at the time, and United then scored twice, through Amad Diallo and a Christian Eriksen penalty.

Villa have said in an official statement: “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 should have been appointed. Of the 10 referees to officiate across the Premier League today, Mr. Bramall was the 2nd least experienced. 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. As per the standards that have been established over the course of the season, a decision to whistle early is clearly inconsistent with current refereeing guidelines. VAR exists to ensure that these types of situations receive the scrutiny they deserve. Unfortunately, the technology was not allowed to serve its purpose. Ultimately, we acknowledge that the outcome for us will not change, but we believe that it is important to address the selection methodology to ensure that high stakes matches are treated as such with regards to officiating and to ensure that the implemented VAR technology is allowed to be effective.”

Newcastle lost 1-0 to Everton on Sunday afternoon, meaning that a Villa win at Old Trafford would have seen them qualify for the Champions League. Bramall has officiated just 11 Premier League games this season and is also currently in the pool to officiate Championship games.

Villa midfielder John McGinn said after the United defeat: "The decision [on the Rogers goal] is incredible. Everyone wanted the correct decisions when VAR was implemented. In rugby, if a try is given then it can be overturned if it’s wrong. I know the rule but it’s hard on us. For him to blow his whistle at that point, it’s really, really tough to handle. It’s a really costly one. We only needed a point to reach the Champions League.”

Manager Unai Emery even claimed Bramall knew he had made an error, adding: “I spoke with the referee and he knows his mistakes. It’s normal, I make mistakes every day. Today, I made mistakes. Players make mistakes on the field. Sometimes with referees, we have to accept mistakes. I believe in VAR and we have very good referees in the Premier League.”

It remains to be seen whether the Premier League issue any kind of an apology to Villa, who will now have to settle for a place in next season's Europa League.