The first FA Premier League match after a three-month absence wasn’t a thriller by any means, but will no doubt live long in the memory due to one particular incident in the game. A ‘ghost goal,’ for Sheffield United 3 minutes before half-time. We all saw it but it didn’t exist due to, what seems to be a blunder.
A free-kick, which was swung in by Oliver Norwood was caught at the far post by goalkeeper Orjan Nyland but in the scramble, an onrushing Villa defender dragged the goalkeeper into his net, with the ball also crossing the line. By the letter of the law, as no opposition player was deemed to have interfered with this event, the goal should have stood, however, goal-line technology should have given the goal, but, the referee, who relies on his watch vibrating when the ball crosses the line, failed to give the goal. Norwood protested, but it seems as though referee indicated to the Blades player that his watch didn’t buzz.
Should Sheffield United be ahead here!? 🤯
It looked as if #AVFC 'keeper Ørjan Nyland took the ball over his own line but goal-line technology says no goal! ❌ pic.twitter.com/kbSsJajwrF
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) June 17, 2020
Hawkeye’s official twitter account had stated after the match an acknowledgement for the error and issued an apology, but is this enough?
Hawk-Eye statement on the goal line incident during Aston Villa v Sheffield match this evening. pic.twitter.com/I2u5lqKMqe
— Hawk-Eye Innovations (@Hawkeye_view) June 17, 2020
This incident alone didn’t mean that the game ended 0-0 as there were other opportunities for both sides, even if, on par with other performances this season, United, at best, could have been described as lacklustre. The failure to give a goal had an impact on the game, United should have been in a clear lead at half-time at least, if not, after 90 minutes.
A victory for the Blades would have lifted them into fifth place in the table, before Manchester United’s game tonight, and potentially put the Blades in European competition next season. For Villa, that one point kept them in the bottom three but kept them within a shot of fighting a relegation battle.
It surely is a unique incident, and as a football fan am disappointed that VAR didn’t intervene either, especially when that technology has cost United several goals this season. I wouldn’t have expected the Aston Villa players to turn round and inform the referee; “it should have been a goal,” in the same respect I wouldn’t expect a Sheffield United player to do so either, after all, that’s what match officials are there for!
Usually, decisions like this wouldn’t be overturned, but maybe they should on these occasions, after all, red cards can be overturned after the match.
It wasn’t the fault of Aston Villa FC either, concerning the goal not been given. The fault lay in the responsibility of the match officials and those who control the technology, it failed, but why should Sheffield United be punished as a result of this?
In the fairness of the game, the authorities should review the situation and conclude that both Sheffield United and Aston Villa, rightfully, both be awarded the maximum 3 points for a win, even though the game itself finished 0-0. Neither side should be punished for their accountability, and, in my opinion, this should only be the fair decision to make.
From a Villa perspective as much as I’d love 3 points, sadly this one will just go on the long list of officiating errors. The officials as always will be blameless and fans have to deal with the frustration.
We were denied a stone wall goal in the last minute against Palace early in the season so it feels as though we were ‘owed one’, but in reality both goals should have been given. Feel for Sheff U as it could deny you a well earned place in Europe and anger rightly should be voiced towards the officials. What is alarming is that no one has said what should be done if this happens again say this weekend? Logic would say the VAR reviews it and gives the goal but this hasn’t been confirmed as yet
Villa should have done the honourable thing though and let the blades score or at least told the ref. Unsportsmanlike and shameful
us villa fans know it was a goal to all but the officials and i do think you were unlucky but these sort of things happened all the time before goal line tech was introduced and 1 error in 9000 games isn’t a bad failure rate (better than any ref i have ever seen) 1 point each is a fair result in my opinion as var missed the throw on Ming’s denying villa a penalty . i wish you better luck for the rest of the run in but 1 point is fair .
It was unfair and 100% a goal. I feel for Sheffield United but we can’t award points in hindsight because it wasn’t an isolated officiating error in that game let alone others (I personally believe Villa should have had 2 penalties – the kick on El Ghazi & pull on Mings). It was a horrible mistake and I think both teams have left feeling robbed in their own way.
If you want penalties for those challenges, look at how Billy Sharp and McBurnie are held back when both are going for the ball that ended up in the net. Also before the keeper falls backwords, the ball is resting on the forearm of the defender, so could easily have been a penalty.
Yes, why didn’t Var look at the possibility of a penalty. Just think that Var officials were sleeping on the job and should be sacked.
They could have gone to big screen in the ground this has has replays no excuse for not giving the goal rubbish desions
Be interesting at end of season if we, SUFC, miss out on Europe by 1 or 2 points or Villa escape relegation by 1 point or goal difference. Possible legal action by more than 1 club? Players could miss out on bonuses and be aggrieved.
Just think of it as things levelling themselves after you got a couple of cheated goals at Villa Park last season and escaped some clear penalties due to the refs kindness in this game.
That is your opinion ,we all have them .The difference here is they scored a goal which is not an opinion but a FACT.
Not seen these penalty claim incidents as don’t have Sky, but heard of them through various channels. Question. Did Var look or not look at these incidents. The referee made his decisions rightly or wrongly. Var is there to correct referee errors. Who knows if they looked into these incidents. Shambles anyway.
Ridiculous error, VAR should have intervened but didnt, Ive no doubt if Villa had been playing Man utd VAR would have been straight in the refs ear and the goal awarded.
Weve had 7 or 8 VAR decisions go against us this season, including the famous Lundstrum big toe offside at Spurs and only 1 in our favour, Wet Spam at home, so its not going to level itself out over the season is it
Villa fan complaining about penalties?,,,give over , the Ref saw all of them and didnt award any, because none of them were penalties.
As a Blade, I thought we were awful, worst ive seen us play in the last two seasons, and we didnt deserve to win the game anyway, a draw was a fair result.
But it doesnt take away from the Appalling failure of Hawk eye, VAR and the Linesman and Ref, and as someone has already commented, there appears to be no protocol set, if it were to happen again
to answer the headline on here, award 3 pts to both teams? Dont be so fuckin stupid..