Emery criticises VAR over Anderson after Forest 1-0 win

Nottingham Forest defeated Aston Villa 1-0 in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semifinal on Thursday at the City Ground, with Aston Villa manager Unai Emery launching a scathing attack on the video assistant referee for failing to send off Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson for a first-half challenge on Ollie Watkins.

Chris Wood scored the winner from a 71st-minute penalty, awarded after VAR prompted referee Joao Pinheiro to review Lucas Digne's handball on Omari Hutchinson's cross. Replays confirmed Hutchinson kept the ball in play, overturning an initial goal-kick decision. Emery accepted the call, stating he had not reviewed it immediately but trusted reports that it was correct.

The flashpoint came midway through the first half when Anderson slid into Watkins, winning the ball cleanly but following through with a high, studs-up challenge that caught the Aston Villa forward's ankle. Pinheiro took no action on the field, and VAR conducted a brief review before clearing the incident. Emery, speaking to TNT Sports post-match and in his news conference, repeatedly praised the referee's overall handling while reserving fury for VAR.

"Fantastic, the referee, fantastic,"...