Vincent Kompany expressed his frustration with the standard of refereeing during Aston Villa’s 3-2 win over his 10-man Burnley side on Saturday afternoon.
The Belgian manager admitted that his idea of the rules differs significantly from the reality he observed on the pitch, particularly in light of several controversial refereeing decisions that went against Burnley.
Aston Villa’s 89th-minute winner, a penalty converted by Douglas Luiz, sparked controversy as the foul leading to it, committed by Aaron Ramsey on Jhon Duran, was considered by some as a slight trip.
The sending off of Burnley midfielder Sander Berge, who received two yellow cards, was viewed as ‘soft’ by some. Additionally, many perceived Diego Carlos’s handball to affect a chance for Lyle Foster as the denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity.
These contentious decisions contributed to Vincent Kompany’s frustration with the refereeing standards in the match, he furiously explained in his post-game reaction.
“My understanding of some situations in the game was tested today. Where do I start? The yellow card, the first one before Sander Berge’s second was soft. It was really soft.
“A coming together and then the clock goes ticking – it takes two minutes, the lad [Moussa Diaby] clearly got on with the game – for a soft offence to be called back after we’ve conceded the goal. The second yellow was even softer. The penalty was also soft.”
Unai Emery, when asked about the officiating, chose to focus on his team’s performance rather than dwell on matters out of his control. While some might argue that this perspective is easier to adopt when decisions favour his team, Emery is known for standing by officials, irrespective of whether he agrees with the decisions.
Despite Vincent Kompany’s discontent with Saturday’s result, it stands as a win for Aston Villa, propelling them back up to second spot in the Premier League. With a two-week pause in Premier League action, Villa fans now have the opportunity to reflect on and celebrate their team’s achievements.