Aston Villa are reportedly set to make an official complaint against the Premier League following their defeat to Manchester United
Manchester United have been awarded an extra £3.1m from the Premier League thanks to their controversial victory over Aston Villa on Sunday.
United had the better of the game and saw the momentum shift firmly in their favour when goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was sent off for clearing out Rasmus Hojlund and denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity in the process. The Reds attempted to hammer home their superiority in the second half but looked to have been caught cold when Morgan Rogers scored with less than 20 minutes remaining.
The winger nipped in to dispossess Altay Bayindir and tapped home into an open goal. However, before Rogers could score, referee Thomas Bramall had already blown for a foul.
Bramall believed that Bayindir had two hands on the ball when Rogers nipped in but replays showed this was not the case. But, because he had blown before Rogers scored, VAR could not intervene with the decision.
This controversial moment sparked even more fury for the away side moments later when Amad fired United in front. Christian Eriksen then scored a penalty to win the game for United and deny Villa a place in the Champions League next season.
The gut-wrenching moment for Villa was that a draw would have been enough to secure Champions League football because Newcastle lost at home to Everton. While United benefitted from a refereeing error on the pitch, the result benefitted their finances too.
Beating Villa saw United move up to 15th in the Premier League table after starting the day a place lower. Wolverhampton Wanderers’ draw at home to Brentford saw the Reds move above them on goal difference and, in turn, secured United an extra £3.1m in prize money.
CITYam understands that bottom team Southampton gained £3.1m in prize money and for each position higher in the table, the prize money increases by £3.1m. Therefore, United will be banking a meagre sum of £18.6m for their 15th placed finish instead of £15.5m.
Had United matched last season’s poor finish of eighth, they would have banked themselves £40.5m in Premier League prize money. The maximum prize money has, of course, been awarded to Liverpool who gained £62.3m for winning the title.
Elsewhere, it is being reported this evening that Villa plan to lodge an official complaint to the Premier League after the defeat this afternoon. It is understood they are unhappy that Bramall, a less experienced referee, was appointed to a game of this magnitude.
Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.
2025-05-26 05:30:00
