A former FIFA-listed referee has strongly criticised the decision not to send off Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson during their Europa League semi-final clash with Aston Villa, arguing that the challenge on Ollie Watkins met the clear criteria for serious foul play and should have resulted in a straight red card.
The incident, which occurred in the first half of Forest’s 1-0 win at the City Ground, has become the defining talking point of the match, overshadowing Chris Wood’s second-half penalty that ultimately decided the tie’s first leg.
“This is exactly what VAR was created for”
Speaking after reviewing the incident, the ex-international official said the challenge was “a textbook example of a red card offence that VAR should have corrected immediately.”
According to his assessment, Anderson’s tackle on Watkins ticked multiple criteria used in the Laws of the Game for serious foul play:
- Excessive force in the challenge
- High risk of injury due to contact on the ankle
- Lack of control in the tackle
- Use of studs in a manner that endangered the opponent
“The moment you see a player making contact above the ball with that level of force, you are firmly in red card territory,” he explained. “VAR doesn’t need ambiguity here. This is not a 50/50 interpretation—it’s a clear missed dismissal if the referee was only shown a limited angle.”
Why VAR intervention was expected
The official also questioned the VAR room’s decision not to recommend an on-field review, arguing that the “clear and obvious error” threshold had been met.
“In modern refereeing, VAR is not there to re-referee the game, but when a player’s safety is compromised like this, intervention is mandatory,” he said. “If the referee sees the tackle again from the correct angle and still chooses yellow or no card, that’s a different discussion. But the failure to even escalate it is where the system falls short.”
Villa’s frustration validated
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery described the decision as “crazy” in his post-match comments, and the former referee believes that reaction is understandable given the nature of the challenge.
“You can see why Villa are angry,” he said. “If Watkins’ foot is planted differently, that could easily be a serious ankle injury. These are the margins referees are judged on at this level.”
Wider implications for VAR consistency
The incident has once again reignited debate about VAR consistency in European competition, particularly around what constitutes a “clear and obvious” error in physical challenges.
For Villa, the decision leaves lingering frustration heading into the second leg. For Forest, it provides relief but also ensures scrutiny will follow their narrow advantage.
The former referee concluded bluntly: “If that challenge is not a red card in a semi-final with VAR available, then we need to seriously ask what the threshold actually is.”
