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The Villa manager was puzzled as to why VAR was not consulted on a decisive decision during the defeat at Old Trafford.
Aston Villa manager Dean Smith was infuriated by the penalty awarded to Manchester United, which allowed them to claim a 2-1 victory when the two teams met at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Friday.
United had led the game thanks to a goal from Anthony Martial before Bertrand Traore tied the game just before time. However, three minutes later, Paul Pogba went to the ground in the area and the hosts had a penalty shot.
Bruno Fernandes converted from the point, his 15th successful attempt from 12 yards since arriving at Old Trafford a year ago, and the hosts won the game.
“I thought it was a penalty at the time, but I looked at him after the game and saw that he tripped. I do not see why [referee] Michael Oliver couldn’t have looked at it. That’s what VAR is for, right? he told Sky Sports.
“He has stumbled. There are margins in football. I’ve seen it again and I don’t think it’s a penalty ”.
Overall, he was satisfied with his team’s response after a disappointing start to the game.
“The first half we were miles apart. The first 15 minutes felt like a testimony, ”he said. “Then they injected some rhythm into it and they deservedly moved on.
“I asked for more at halftime and we deserved to get back in the game. Our goalkeeper had to make good saves but they all left the area.
“We know that we are on a good path at the moment. We believe we have five key arrivals for players who are ready for the Premier League.
“This is only our second season in the division, but competing here and against Liverpool and Arsenal shows that our journey is going well so far.”
Villa is sixth in the Premier League and in the thick of the race for the European spot. They are currently one of six teams in a notable jam with 26 points.
They have a week to regain their strength before an FA Cup clash against Liverpool on January 8.
