During Sunday’s 1-1 draw between Aston Villa and Sunderland, forward Morgan Rogers fell victim to a dangerous tackle by Sunderland’s Trai Hume, who left Rogers writhing on the pitch clutching his ankle. The home crowd cheered the challenge, and Sunderland went as far as sharing a video of the incident on social media with the caption “Still got the ball.”
Frustrated by this move, Rogers took to his Instagram Stories to criticize the celebration of dangerous tackles, adding, “Great message to send out… Dangerous tackles getting highlight reels,” along with a clapping hands emoji.
Although Sunderland was reduced to ten men after Reinildo Mandava was shown a red card for violent conduct towards Villa full-back Matty Cash, Unai Emery’s team could only manage a draw. Cash had scored Villa’s only goal before Wilson Isidor equalized for Sunderland.
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher praised referee Sam Barrott for observing the incident and taking appropriate action against Mandava. The Sky Sports pundit Jay Boothroyd condemned Mandava’s actions, stating that the violent conduct did not warrant such a reaction and ultimately let both himself and his team down.
Villa is now focused on securing their first win of the season as they prepare to kick off their Europa League campaign against Bologna, followed by a Premier League match against Fulham at Villa Park on Sunday afternoon.
