The decision to award Aston Villa a first-half penalty against Manchester City on Tuesday night sparked uproar inside the Etihad Stadium—louder even than the cheers that followed Bernardo Silva’s early opener.
Midway through the half, Ruben Dias once again found himself scrambling to keep up with Marcus Rashford, who had already hit the post within seconds of kickoff. The Manchester United loanee darted into the box and laid the ball off to Jacob Ramsey, who went down under pressure from Dias.
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Dias instantly protested his innocence, and referee Craig Pawson initially waved play on. But the match was soon paused as VAR official John Brooks intervened, suggesting an on-field review.
After reviewing the footage, which VAR deemed showed “a clear trip,” Pawson overturned his original call and pointed to the spot. The Premier League’s Match Centre later posted on X:
“VAR checked the referee’s call of no penalty to Aston Villa for a challenge by Dias on Ramsey – and deemed there was a clear trip and recommended an on-field review. The referee overturned the original decision and awarded a penalty to Aston Villa.”
The Etihad crowd greeted the decision with loud jeers, and Pep Guardiola’s furious reaction earned him a yellow card.
Rashford stepped up and calmly converted the penalty, leveling the score after Silva’s sixth-minute goal. It was another chapter in Rashford’s complicated Manchester story—though a product of United’s academy and a derby veteran, he’s previously shared that “half my family were United supporters and the other half were City.”
Tuesday’s clash carried major Champions League implications, with both City and Villa among five teams vying for the remaining three qualification spots.
