Why both Sheffield United and Aston Villa should be awarded maximum points, despite draw

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.

Hawkeye’s official twitter account had stated after the match an acknowledgement for the error and issued an apology, but is this enough?

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.