Unai Emery rages at 'huge, huge error' in Aston Villa's Europa League defeat

Furious Villa boss Unai Emery accused VAR of making a "huge, huge mistake" for failing to send-off Nottingham Forest’s Elliott Anderson in Thursday's Europa League defeat.

Emery reckoned the midfielder could have broken striker Ollie Waktins' ankle with a rash challenge during the first half of the 1-0 semi-final first leg defeat at the City Ground.

Anderson escaped any censure from referee Joao Pinheiro, while the incident was not deemed worthy of review by VAR Tiago Martins.

But Emery raged: “It is a huge mistake, a huge mistake. Ollie Watkins was close to breaking his ankle. The VAR has a huge responsibility and he must give us an explanation. It is crazy!

“The ref can’t watch it like me. One action like that can break his ankle. The VAR makes sense if they are fair. What is your opinion? Wow.

“In football I work 20 years as a coach, sometimes decisions are tight. I am 100 per cent with VAR, but we must manage it good and in the right way.

“One action like that, there is no doubt. Where is VAR?!”

The video assistant did intervene later in the match when Forest were awarded a penalty for a handball by Lucas Digne.

It was initially ruled the ball had gone out of play before Omari Hutchinson hooked it into the raised arms of the Villa defender.

But Pinheiro awarded a spot-kick after consulting the pitchside monitor.

Emery is confident Villa can overturn the deficit in next week’s second leg.

Asked if he had spoken to Digne after the match, he said: "I didn't watch the action or speak with him.

"Tomorrow we will speak about everything. After analysis we can take something clear.

"After their goal the most important thing was not to lose our mind. After the goal we kept the same idea not to draw the match but more important was not to concede another goal.

"The match is not finished, it continues next week."