Gary Lineker calls out VAR after Aston Villa lose out to Manchester United in FA Cup

On Monday 10 January, Manchester United were able to make it through to the fourth round of the FA Cup where they will host Middlesbrough.

Man United were able to hold onto their solitary goal which was scored by Scott McTominay within the first ten minutes of the match.

Villa were piling on the pressure for the remainder of the match but were unable to convert their drive into a convincing goal.

Their third round fixture against Aston Villa was not without its controversy and debate as Villa had two goals denied, with one of the disqualifications causing quite the stir.

The commentary box afterwards, with Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and former Villa player Micah Richards, were all full of their own passionate opinions with regards to the decision, and once more VAR comes under attack.

What happened in the match?

Aston Villa were denied two goals in the second half and were therefore unable to make it through to the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Early on in the second half, it had seemed that Danny Ings had secured an equaliser but, after a wait of over three minutes, the on-field referee Michael Oliver overturned the decision for offside on Aston Villa player Jacob Ramsey.

John McGinn went to take a free kick and Jacob Ramsey had been in an offside position when the ball was kicked. Despite not going for the ball, Ramsey then blocked Cavani which meant that Daniel Ings’s goal was disallowed as Ramsey was offside.

After the match, Villa boss Steven Gerrard was asked for his thoughts on the decision to which he replied: “How long have you got? The officials took three and a half minutes to settle that one. They have looked at two or three things in it.

“When VAR is there and they make a decision you have to accept it. There is nothing you can do to change it. The easy way out is to blame luck and the officials, we won’t do that.”

What did Gary Lineker say on Twitter?

Soon after the final whistle, the former Leicester City striker said: “Rather strange intervention from VAR.

“Seemed determined to find some reason to rule out the goal. Not sure that was anywhere near enough.”

What did the fellow pundits say after the match?

Former Manchester City and Villa player, Micah Richards was agreeing with the former Everton player as he said in the BBC Studio: “When they look back at it, Ramsey was standing twice to the right.

“He impedes him but you don’t know if (Edinson) Cavani was going to get there.

“He didn’t exactly hold him when he got there, he held his ground he stepped to the side and Cavani ran into him and it took so long to make the decision it was just ridiculous.”

The upset ultimately meant that Manchester United struggled through to a 1-0 win and will now face Middlesbrough in the fourth round of the competition at Old Trafford during the first weekend in February.

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