Last night at Anfield was a night to forget for Aston Villa, as their manager could not hide his frustration after what he described as “too many controversial decisions” that went against his side in their defeat to Liverpool. The match, which ended 2–0 in favor of the Reds, was filled with moments that left the Villa bench fuming — from disputed fouls to questionable offside calls and a few debatable VAR interventions that seemed to always favor the home team.
The coach, visibly disappointed during his post-match interview, hinted that officiating inconsistencies played a role in the outcome. He admitted Liverpool were strong, but insisted that certain calls changed the momentum of the game. “We came here to compete, and I think we did for large parts of the game,” he said. “But it’s difficult when so many big moments don’t go your way. Some of those decisions, I just can’t understand.”
Villa’s frustration began early in the first half when a potential counterattack was halted for a foul that many in the away dugout thought was soft. Later, a Liverpool challenge inside the box raised questions, yet VAR decided not to intervene. To add to their woes, a Villa goal was ruled offside after a tight review — a call that divided opinion even among neutral pundits.
Liverpool, meanwhile, capitalized on Villa’s misfortune. A mistake from goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez gifted Mohamed Salah the opening goal, and Ryan Gravenberch’s deflected strike sealed the win. But despite the scoreline, Villa’s coach insisted the match could have taken a very different turn if officiating had been more consistent.
Behind the scenes, reports suggest that Aston Villa might consider lodging a formal complaint to the Premier League regarding the standard of refereeing. This wouldn’t be the first time — the club previously raised concerns earlier this year after feeling undone by officiating decisions in a loss to Manchester United.
While no official protest has been filed yet, the tension is clear. The manager’s remarks reflect a growing frustration across the league about the reliability of VAR and referee appointments for big matches. “It’s not about excuses,” he added. “It’s about fairness. You want a game to be decided by players, not by moments that leave everyone confused.”
As Liverpool celebrated another crucial victory at home, Aston Villa were left replaying every contentious call in their minds — the feeling that the game slipped away not just because of their mistakes, but because of decisions that they could not control.