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Aston Villa have written to Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) to complain about “inexperienced” referee Thomas Bramall being appointed to Sunday’s costly 2-0 defeat to Manchester United.
Villa went into the final day of the Premier League season hoping to seal Champions League qualification, requiring a win at Old Trafford and for one of their rivals to drop points.
Newcastle United lost 1-0 at home to Everton, meaning a draw would have been enough for Villa, though they lost 2-0 after seeing Emiliano Martinez sent off late in the first half.
Amad Diallo and Christian Eriksen scored for United, with the former netting just three minutes after Morgan Rogers saw a potential opener controversially disallowed.
Rogers took advantage of some poor handling from Altay Bayindir to slot into an empty net, but referee Bramall blew for a foul, believing Rogers took the ball out of the goalkeeper’s hands.
Replays showed Bayindir never had control of the ball, but as the whistle had already gone, the VAR was unable to intervene and the decision stood.
Villa have now written to PGMOL, the body responsible for selecting and assessing officials, to complain about Bramall’s appointment.
“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,” the club said in a statement.
“With such high stakes surrounding today’s fixture, the club believe a more experienced referee should have been appointed.
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
“Of the 10 referees to officiate across the Premier League today, Mr. Bramall was the second-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.”
This was Bramall’s first campaign as a Premier League referee. He took charge of 11 games, issuing four red cards and 36 bookings.
It was only his second match involving Villa, having previously overseen their 3-0 win at Southampton in April.
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