Amadou Onana incident shock in Everton v Aston Villa: ‘You have to send him off’
Sam Barrot had to send Aston Villa star Amadou Onana off against his former side Everton but somehow failed to do so, according to Clinton Morrison.
In what was David Moyes’ first game back as the Toffees’ manager, there was some surprise at the reserved atmosphere at Goodison Park in the early stages of Wednesday night’s (15 January) game.
One incident that did leave generate a reaction from the home crowd though involved one of their former players in the form of Onana, although it did not play out in the way they would have wanted.
Having already been booked early in the first half after bringing down Everton midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye, the Aston Villa man was perhaps fortunate not to receive a second yellow card.
Moments after Ollie Watkins had put Villa 1-0 up Orel Mangala picked up the ball just inside his own half and looked to turn to launch an attack in an attempt to get his side back into the game.
However, the Toffees man quickly went down under contact from Onana, but despite appeals from Everton for another booking and red, referee Barrott elected not to show any card.
That left Morrison stunned, and speaking about the incident on Sky Sports Soccer Special, the former Crystal Palace and Birmingham striker said (8:41pm):
“If he gives a foul here, Onana’s been booked, on a yellow card, and Mangala’s turned him and he’s pulled him back.
“It’s a second yellow card, I don’t understand how he’s not given him a second yellow card. He’s made about three or four challenges like that. He should be sent off.
“I know there’s not a lot of contact but once you make that decision as a referee you have to send him off.
“I’ll be very surprised if Unai Emery doesn’t make a change in that position in the next few minutes because he’s very lucky to still be on the pitch.”
Aston Villa lucky not to go down to ten men after Onana incident at Everton
Football Insider Verdict
There was more than an element of fortune for Onana in him staying on the pitch after this incident at Goodison.
The Aston Villa man had already committed more than one foul after going into the book, and so should already have been on a final warning.
Even irrespective of the totting up procedure, his move to bring down Mangala to stop an Everton attack looked to be a cynical one.
That should have been enough to therefore ensure the standard booking for such an offence should have been enough to earn Onana a second booking.
With Aston Villa going on to win beat Everton 1-0 in that match, the decision not to send off the midfielder at this point may well have been significant in the outcome of the game.
The fact that he is one of their former players who has already left them annoyed once this season will only add insult to injury to all this for Toffees supporters as well.
In other news, Aston Villa have opened contract talks with Louie Barry amid transfer interest from Celtic.
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