ASTON VILLA conceded one of the most bizarre penalties in Champions League history on Wednesday night.
Villa boss Unai Emery slammed Tyron Mings’ bizarre decision to PICK UP the ball as “the biggest mistake I witnessed in my career”.
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Mings gifted Club Brugge a penalty in the second half when he was passed the ball inside the area by Emi Martinez from a goal-kick and decided to bend down and pick it up.
It can only be assumed that Mings had a lapse in concentration and thought he had been rolled the ball to take the goal-kick himself.
But referee Tobias Stieler stuck to the letter of the law and pointed to the spot, a decision that cost Villa all three points as Brugge captain Hans Vanaken converted the resulting penalty to score the only goal of the game.
Former Premier League referee and SunSport columnist Mark Halsey gives his verdict on the controversial decision that marred Villa’s defeat to Club Brugge...
Speaking exclusively to SunSport Halsey explained that official Stieler made the right call and said that Aston Villa can have “no complaints whatsoever”.
He said: “We see it week in week out in every league around the globe, where the goalkeeper takes a quick goal kick giving it to the defender, and the defender plays it away.”
Adding: “The referee has no option whatsoever to to give that penalty because the ball is in play and it’s a it’s a schoolboy error by by Tyrone Mings.
“It’s just unbelievable for a player of his calibre to do what he did in the second half.
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“So Aston Villa can have no complaints whatsoever.”
The incident was remarkably similar to Arsenal centre-back Gabriel’s blunder against Bayern Munich in the Champions League last season.
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The Brazilian defender was let off the hook that night with Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg saying that it was a “kid’s mistake” that wasn’t in the spirit of the game to punish a team for.
Halsey reckons you can feel sorry for Mings, but the decision ultimately has to be a penalty by the letter of the law.
He added: “Tyrone Mings needs to have a look at himself and ask himself, What on earth was I doing?
“Listen, yes. You do feel a little bit for him, but they’re professional footballers. They should know the laws of the game.
“And as I say It’s a quick goal kick and, once the goal kick has been taken the ball is in play.
“So, as I said before, Aston Villa could have no complaints at the award of a penalty by the referee.”
Villa players also found themselves complaining that the referee hadn’t blown his whistle to restart play yet, but Halsey has clarified there’s no substance in that argument either.
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He explained: “The referee doesn’t need to blow his whistle in that situation to restart play. It’s just ‘away we go’.”
Villa’s defeat knocked them off their perch in Europe and ended their 100% start to the Champions League this season.
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