The Premier League has confirmed why VAR chose to award a penalty to Aston Villa in their clash with Manchester City. City had taken the lead through Bernardo Silva's early strike, but conceded a penalty ten minutes later when Ruben Dias was adjudged to have brought down Jacob Ramsey in the area.
Initially, referee Craig Pawson decided not to award a spot kick. However, VAR John Brooks instructed Pawson to observe the monitor, where he overturned his original decision. Marcus Rashford slotted away the penalty, drawing jeers from the Etihad Stadium as the decision was shown on the big screens.
Pep Guardiola was booked for his complaints. The Premier League Match Centre explained: 'VAR checked the referee’s call of no penalty to Aston Villa for a challenge by Dias on Ramsey – and deemed there was a clear trip and recommended an on-field review. The referee overturned the original decision and awarded a penalty to Aston Villa.'
The decision could prove pivotal in the tight battle for Champions League qualification. City and Villa are separated by just one point in the race for a top-five finish, with the top five qualifying for the Champions League this season due to English clubs' performance in Europe.
