Emery critical of VAR after Anderson escape in Europa League semi

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has expressed frustration with VAR following a controversial incident involving Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson during the first leg of their Europa League semi-final.

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Speaking after the match, Emery stated that VAR made a "huge mistake" in not sending off Anderson. The Aston Villa boss described the situation as "so, so bad" when questioning where the decision-making process had failed.

The incident in question appeared to warrant serious consideration for a red card, yet the video assistant referee did not intervene to recommend the sending off.

The result leaves the tie finely poised ahead of the second leg, with Emery's Villa side needing to overturn the situation in the return fixture to progress to the Europa League final.

Emery's strong criticism of the officiating adds to the ongoing debate about VAR's consistency and effectiveness in major European competition.