Aston Villa vs Leeds United ref watch: Three decisions Michael Oliver got wrong
Michael Oliver was at the centre of attention as tempers flared between Aston Villa and Leeds United at Villa Park on Saturday.
Both sides would have loved to get back to winning ways on 21 February, though the visitors had squeezed through to the next round of the FA Cup after beating Birmingham City on penalties.
Returning from injury, Leeds‘ Anton Stach scored the game’s opener, and while that would have taken his side up to 14th in the Premier League table, Villa had other plans in the Premier League title race.
Unai Emery‘s players had more than enough chances to equalise, and it eventually came through Tammy Abraham in the 89th minute, sparking pandemonium in the crowd.
It nearly all kicked off before the full-time whistle, with both sets of players pushing for the victory, but these were some of the key mistakes that Oliver got wrong during the game.
Michael Oliver tricked by Emi Martinez
After just a few minutes, Oliver had his first decision to make, and it was instantly clear exactly what Ethan Ampadu thought as Villa were awarded a free-kick inside their own penalty area.
As a corner was swung into the box, the Leeds captain was punished for pulling the goalkeeper to the floor, but upon watching replays, it would appear that, if anything, it was the other way around.
Emi Martinez has a knack for tricking the officials, especially when it comes to buying free-kicks and wasting time, and he did the same at Villa Park this weekend.
Emi Buendia maybe fortunate to stay on the pitch
Although he made a genuine attempt to play the ball, Emi Buendia caught Jaka Bijol with a reckless challenge, one which could have done a lot of damage had the foot been planted.
Oliver took a moment to go over the decision in his head, only to dish out a yellow card at Villa Park.
VAR refused to get involved, and had they done so, it might have been a worse punishment for the Argentine, who was hooked by Unai Emery just two minutes later.
Premier League clash slowed down by whistle-happy referee
Premier League supporters are often desperate for a free-flowing game of football, but Oliver just didn’t allow for that at Villa Park, with the number of times he stopped play.
Both sets of fans were left frustrated by full-time, albeit Leeds were by far the happiest after claiming an important three points on the road.
Oliver is supposed to be one of the division’s best officials, and he may have just had a bad day at the office, but it should not be a performance that Howard Webb is pleased with.
To read more expert analysis on Leeds United’s win over Aston Villa, head to MOT Leeds News for all the latest