VAR Decision Sparks Emery Criticism After Aston Villa's 1-0 Defeat To Brentford

Aston Villa’s Premier League title push suffers a setback as a controversial VAR call helps Brentford secure a 1-0 win at Villa Park, despite playing with 10 players. Unai Emery accepted the decision but insisted it felt unjust, after Tammy Abraham’s late equaliser was disallowed following a long review.

Dango Ouattara scored the only goal in first-half stoppage time, finishing for Brentford after a swift move. Earlier, Kevin Schade received a red card for kicking Matty Cash, leaving Brentford a player short. Aston Villa controlled the second half, yet could not turn long spells of pressure into a valid goal.

The key flashpoint came when Caoimhin Kelleher failed to hold Jadon Sancho’s effort, allowing Tammy Abraham, making a second debut after

returning from Besiktas earlier in the week, to score. VAR intervened, however, and ruled Leon Bailey had taken the ball out near his own corner flag much earlier.

That decision meant Aston Villa lost a Premier League match in which the opposition had a first-half dismissal for the first time since April 2021, when they were beaten 2-1 by Manchester City, who had John Stones sent off. The Premier League Match Centre later stated online that Bailey’s incident remained within the same attacking possession phase.

Emery challenged that interpretation and directly questioned how far VAR should go back in similar incidents. Emery told the officials after the match: "I think it is not fair. If the assistant is watching it, there are a lot of actions and small circumstances which can change one goal. Of course, I accept it. But for me, it is not fair. "

Emery continued outlining concerns over the process, adding: "The referees are so, so demanding in trying to correct everything they are doing, or where they can improve. For me, it is not fair. My explanation is it is one action after a long time. If the assistant referee did not see it, we must continue playing. "

Defeat at home. pic.twitter.com/ywgWRatQ3pAston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) February 1, 2026

Emery then addressed how complicated such checks are for officials using technology. Emery said: "For VAR, it is difficult to analyse, and so tight as well. I think the problem is the VAR should not be asking in this situation. I accept it, but it is not fair. I can’t say anything more about it. It is football and, of course, Brentford played fantastically with one player less than us. We are frustrated, disappointed, as well with the referee and VAR for his decision. But maybe sometimes we can win matches like that. "

The defeat leaves Aston Villa seven points behind league leaders Arsenal, who beat Leeds United 4-0 at Elland Road on Saturday. Despite the setback, Emery praised Brentford’s work rate with a player fewer, while stressing Villa’s frustration at failing to take advantage of long spells inside the final third during the second half.

Brentford head coach Keith Andrews acknowledged Aston Villa’s annoyance over the VAR call but mainly pointed to defensive organisation. Andrews said in the press conference: "I thought it was a defensive masterclass in the second half. We asked a lot of our midfield three. We felt there were a couple of gaps opening up.Defensively, the desire to stop the ball going in the back of net was immense. "

Andrews then explained how the VAR episode unfolded from the Brentford bench perspective. On the check, Andrews stated: "I couldn’t see it live. The goal goes in and they checked it. It took about four minutes. If they come to the right decision, especially if it goes our way, then I am in favour of it. I can understand the frustrations of fans. It looked out. I haven’t seen conclusive proof. "

Historically, this was a landmark result for Brentford at Villa Park. The victory was Brentford’s first in any competition at the stadium, at the 12th attempt, and only the third time they have prevented Aston Villa scoring at home, after clean sheets recorded in January 1953 and September 2017, underlining the scale of their defensive effort.

The match therefore ends with Brentford celebrating a disciplined, short-handed win, while Aston Villa leave reflecting on missed chances and a disputed VAR ruling. The league table impact is clear, with Arsenal pulling further ahead, and both teams now assessing how this tense meeting at Villa Park shapes their next Premier League fixtures.