Roy Keane Responds After Controversial Referee Error Costs Aston Villa Champions League Spot
Roy Keane has weighed in following a highly controversial officiating decision that had a major impact on Aston Villa’s hopes of securing Champions League football. The former Manchester United captain emphasized that “human error is part of the game”, even in the age of VAR, after Villa found themselves on the wrong end of a costly refereeing blunder.
Villa fell to a defeat at Old Trafford, but the match turned on a crucial first-half moment when the opening goal—scored by Morgan Rogers—was incorrectly ruled out by referee Thomas Bramall. That call ultimately proved pivotal in a game that saw Villa concede two late goals, ending their hopes of a top-four finish.
The Disallowed Goal That Changed Everything
Heading into the clash, Villa knew they needed a positive result, especially with Everton beating Newcastle in another match that would affect their fate. With the game scoreless and everything to play for, it looked like Villa had made a breakthrough when Rogers capitalized on a mistake from Man United keeper Altay Bayindir, who mishandled the ball under pressure.
Rogers was quick to pounce, slotting the ball into an empty net. But before the ball crossed the line, Bramall blew his whistle, ruling that Rogers had committed a foul—despite replays clearly showing the Villa forward had done nothing wrong.
Because the whistle was blown before the goal was scored, VAR could not intervene to overturn the decision. The game continued, and Villa’s missed opportunity loomed large as United went on to score twice in the final 20 minutes, leaving Villa furious and frustrated.
The Birmingham club has since lodged an official complaint with the Premier League, demanding accountability for the mistake.
Keane: VAR Can’t Erase All Errors
Speaking on Sky Sports, Roy Keane acknowledged the gravity of the error and sympathized with Aston Villa—but stressed that mistakes like this remain an unfortunate reality of the game, even with technology involved.
“You talk about VAR or whatever but human error does come into it, it’s part of football and you feel for the officials because if he lets it run and it hits the back of the net we can all clearly see it wasn’t a foul. So a huge moment for Aston Villa, you saw the manager’s reaction, they’ll be suffering for that but it is part of the game with human error. We were hoping VAR would cut all that out, but he’s blown too early.”
Keane’s remarks underline a broader concern within football—that despite technological advances, key decisions still rest in the hands of officials who can make split-second calls under immense pressure.
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