For the second time in a week, Manchester United ended a club’s dreams of Champions League football. This time, at least, it was not their own. Aston Villa will always have Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, the nights they shocked the European elite, the season they gatecrashed their way into the quarter-finals of the most prestigious tournament. But there will be no sequel: not immediately, anyway. The chorus of “Europe again” was a constant from their fans at Old Trafford. But it will be the Europa League, a third continental competition in as many seasons, rather than the Champions League again. A historic season ended in defeat and disappointment, anger and anticlimax, in regrets and recriminations.
Everton’s win at Newcastle meant Villa would have only needed a draw against the worst Manchester United team in decades to finish fifth. Instead, they lost to a side with two points from their previous eight games, nothing to play for and a weakened team, who had not beaten anyone apart from the relegated trio since January and against a backdrop of protests against the owners, the Glazers. Villa made United look good, something United rarely accomplish in their own right, as what Ruben Amorim called a “disaster” of a season finished with the rarity of a win.
For Villa, there was the sense they had come agonisingly close: when drawing 0-0 and when Everton led, they were fifth in the virtual table. It might have been different: they could rue two decisions. Referee Thomas Bramall denied Morgan Rogers an opener, a few minutes before Amad Diallo headed United into the lead, when the Villa forward dispossessed Altay Bayindir, who didn’t seem to have the ball under his control, span and shot into the empty net. A foul was given, rather generously, and because the whistle was blown before the ball went in, VAR could not overrule it.
“An incredible decision,” said Villa captain John McGinn. “Because of the impact it has on us as players and our careers, the club, you are obviously angry.” Unai Emery confronted Bramall after the final whistle and added: “I spoke with the referee and he knows his mistake.” Villa plan to complain to the Premier League, aggrieved about the selection of an inexperienced official.
Yet their gripes would have more credibility had they delivered a strong performance; or, indeed, if they weren’t architects of their own downfall. Emery argued that everyone makes mistakes. His goalkeeper certainly did. The other questionable, costly choice came earlier. Emi Martinez’s afternoon, and perhaps his Villa career, reached an early, ignominious end, a sending off on the stroke of half-time coming when he flattened Rasmus Hojlund outside his area.
The initial fault came from Matty Cash, with an under-hit back-pass, and the facetious temptation is to suggest it was not a clear goalscoring opportunity if it was Hojlund, but the net was unguarded, Bramall’s reaction to reach for the red card was correct and Martinez’s complaints about it ridiculous. It was as though the agent provocateur had got away with so much over the years that he seemed to think he was infallible. He wasn’t and was rightly expelled. The first to suffer was Marco Asensio, sacrificed to bring on back-up goalkeeper Robin Olsen, his own time at Villa perhaps reaching an unfortunate end.
The victory that had seemed a formality before kick-off became first difficult and then impossible. Amad stole in behind the Villa defence to head in Bruno Fernandes’ cross. It just a first home league goal since 9 March for United but a 20th assist of the season for the captain. He passed up the chance for a personal double and a 20th goal by allowing Christian Eriksen to convert the penalty awarded when Ian Maatsen trod on Amad’s heel.
But even before conceding, Villa had ridden their luck. United ended with 25 shots, three of them hitting the woodwork, and one disallowed goal, from Hojlund, who only finished when it didn’t matter. Villa were dismal with 11 men, dominated with 10. They may want to direct some complaints to their own dressing room for a display that was out of keeping with their recent fine form.
Martinez’s afternoon had a busier, better start, with four saves in the opening eight minutes, the best from an elusive, excellent Mason Mount. Sterile when it mattered in Bilbao, United were liberated by official confirmation their campaign is a failure. Diogo Dalot was first to hit the woodwork, after dainty footwork by Harry Maguire. Then it was Casemiro’s turn, with a curling shot, before Eriksen rattled the bar with a free kick.
Fernandes gave him a parting gift of a penalty. Eriksen will leave when his contract expires; so, too, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans, to whom Eriksen had offered the penalty, with the defender wise enough to say no. Each was waved off in the post-match formalities as Amorim apologised for a “bad” season and promised improvement. They got it within a game: they dropped to 17th when Tottenham led, but clambered up to 15th. It is still their worst finish since promotion in 1975. “A terrible season,” said Amorim. Villa’s was still good. But it could have been brilliant. And amid the inquest into the officiating, they should not ignore their own abject showing when they could have booked their return ticket to the Champions League.
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