Danny Ings: Expert issues ‘100 per cent’ verdict as Aston Villa controversy analysed
Paul Robinson is baffled as to why the officials did not award Danny Ings a penalty in Watford’s 1-0 win at Aston Villa on Saturday.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Spurs and England number one said he’s “100 per cent” sure Ings, 29, should have been awarded a spot kick in the first half.
Ings was brought down by Watford defender Samir inside the penalty area but referee Rob Jones did not deem there to be enough contact.
VAR official Paul Tierney concurred with the on-field decision, or at least did not see it as a clear and obvious error.
As quoted by Birmingham Live (20 February), Steven Gerrard fumed over the call which he believes would have been a definite foul outside the box.
When asked by Football Insider‘s Dylan Childs for his assessment of the incident, Robinson said: “100 per cent that was a penalty.
“It was one of the poorest decisions of the weekend for me. It was a stonewall penalty. Why VAR didn’t intervene is beyond me.
“Villa didn’t deserve to win though. They did not play particularly well.
“Steven Gerrard will be bitterly disappointed because they did not match the standards they have set themselves.
“They would have been lucky to get away with a point even though it was a stonewall penalty on Ings.”
Speaking on the penalty shout, Gerrard said: “”For me it looked like a penalty. If you get it outside the area, you certainly get a foul for that.
“Martin said to me, the fourth (official), that it’s not enough for a penalty, but I said to him would it be a foul outside the box and he agreed.”
In other news, Yves Bissouma and a Premier League 25-year-old have been tipped to dazzle at Aston Villa after £50m reported update.