Unai Emery has launched a furious attack on VAR after Villa’s 1-0 Europa League semi-final first-leg defeat at Nottingham Forest.
- Emery insisted Villa “did the match we planned” despite the defeat
- The Spanish manager described Anderson’s challenge on Watkins as a “clear red card”
- He praised referee Joao Pinheiro with a “10 out of 10” but reserved scathing criticism for VAR
- Emery’s message on the tie, “the match is not finished, it continues next week”
Unai Emery was left fuming on the City Ground touchline, claiming Elliott Anderson’s thumping challenge on Ollie Watkins was a potential leg-breaker as Aston Villa’s Europa League hopes took a bruising hit.
The Villa chief didn’t hold back in his post-match assessment, insisting the VAR’s failure to intervene was a “stunning” oversight after referee Joao Pinheiro had waved play on. Anderson, the former Newcastle man, caught his England teammate with a follow-through that left the Villa talisman clutching his ankle in agony near the dugouts.
While Watkins languished on the turf, Forest boss Vítor Pereira was seen gesturing for the striker to get to his feet, with the hosts showing no interest in sporting sentiment as they launched a break that nearly doubled their advantage.
Only a piece of Emiliano Martínez magic kept the deficit at 1-0, the Argentine somehow thwarting Igor Jesus, but it proved a temporary reprieve. Chris Wood’s clinical 71st-minute spot-kick eventually settled the contest, leaving Emery to count the cost of both a defeat and a mounting injury list.
The Spaniard’s ire was firmly directed at the officials blasting their refusal to advise a pitch-side review as Villa were left to lick their wounds ahead of a do-or-die second leg at Villa Park.
The Spanish manager’s most explosive and emotionally charged words, however, were reserved for the officials, specifically VAR’s failure to intervene when Elliot Anderson’s challenge on Ollie Watkins in the 31st minute went unpunished.
“Fantastic the referee. Fantastic. But the VAR is so, so bad,” he stated bluntly. “It’s a clear red card. I don’t understand why the VAR is not calling the referee because it’s so clear. It’s a huge, huge mistake and VAR is responsible.”
Furthermore, the Villa manager made clear he had reviewed the incident himself before speaking. “I watched it back…wow! Huge. He could break his ankle. VAR: where are you? It is your responsibility, we are professionals. It was so clear for everybody. It’s not fair.”
Emery was categorical, specific, and visibly furious in his assessment of a moment he believes should have resulted in a red card.
His praise for referee Joao Pinheiro: “10 out of 10, I appreciated how he managed the match for 90 minutes” made the VAR criticism even more pointed and deliberate.
Emery was not attacking the officials broadly. He was making a precise and specific case about a single decision he believes fundamentally affected the balance of the tie.
“We controlled the match is not finished”
Emery’s immediate post-match assessment on TNT Sports was measured, defiant, and entirely in keeping with the mentality he has built at Villa Park throughout his tenure.
The 53-year-old refused to accept that a one-goal deficit changes the fundamental nature of what his side are capable of delivering in the second leg at Villa Park on Thursday 7 May.
“We couldn’t score, we conceded, but we controlled,” Emery stated directly. “We lost but did the match we planned. We had our chances to score and had momentum. We were successful in stopping their high press — the match was going like we planned. We defended well. The penalty was one action that happened.”
A specific framing, acknowledging the result while insisting the performance reflected the intended game plan that reflects a manager who retains full belief in his squad’s ability to overturn the deficit.
His message on the tie’s overall status was equally clear and unambiguous. “After their goal the most important thing was not to lose our mind and to keep our game plan. The match is not finished: it continues next week. We must come back.”
Those words will carry enormous weight in Villa’s dressing room ahead of what promises to be one of the most significant nights in the club’s modern history.
Villa Park must deliver next Thursday
One goal. One week. One chance to reach Istanbul. Emery’s belief is undiminished. The second leg on Thursday 7 May is now everything.
