Mike Dean confirms referee ignored instructions as Man Utd vs Villa goal ruled out

Former official Mike Dean confirmed the referee had ignored instructions while ruling out an Aston Villa goal during their final match of the season against Manchester United. Unai Emery's side needed to win in order to keep alive hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

Altay Bayindir was at the heart of the controversy, with the Turkish goalkeeper having appeared to miscontrol the ball, allowing Morgan Rogers to snatch it off him. The Villa star went on to knock it into an empty net, but the referee had already blown his whistle.

Villa's fury was worsened moments later when Amad Diallo went down the opposite end to open the scoring and give United the lead. The hosts added a second before full-time, but had Villa taken the lead and held on, because of results elsewhere, they'd have finished in the Champions League places.

Explaining the decision on Sky Sports News, Dean said: "He has got to get the ball the keeper. It has hit one hand and then it has come out on it's own accord. The attacker is free and every right to go for the ball. He hasn't got the ball under contract a goal should be given. The only thing I would say is because I haven't got comms on here, did the whistle go before?"

Clinton Morrison, who was on the punditry panel, added: "Yeah it did, the whistle went before." To which Dean replied: "It won't be a goal then."

Morrison continued: "I think the goal doesn't stand because he blew his whistle before the ball went into the net. It's a bad mistake. That could cost Villa in the end. It's such a bad decision. I could watch it 50 times and it's always a goal."

Dean went on to confirm referee Thomas Bramall had ignored the directive for officials to delay blowing their whistle, saying: "I think it is a goal. The referee has probably watched it in real time and at real speed and from his view it looks like the keeper has two hands on it, which he hasn't.

"The issue he has got is the refs are told to wait a couple of seconds. If he waits two seconds more and then blows his whistle it's not a problem because you can award a goal then. Because you have blown too early there is nothing you can do."

An update shared by the Premier League Match Centre on X, explained: "The referee's call was a free kick to Manchester United with Bayindir deemed to be in control of the ball before Rogers gained possession. The whistle was blown by the referee before the ball entered the goal, therefore the incident was not reviewable by the VAR."

Villa had played the entirety of the second half with 10 men after goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was shown a straight red card for a last-man challenge. It marks a disappointing end to the campaign for Emery's side, who will have to settle for a spot in the Europa League instead.