Why was Morgan Rogers goal disallowed vs. Man United? Referee blunder means VAR can't help as Aston Villa suffer Champions League blow

The final day of the 2024/25 Premier League season was not about the title race, or the relegation battle.

With the positions at the top and bottom of the EPL standings already determined, the spotlight was squarely on the race for the UEFA Champions League positions.

Five teams were battling for three spots, with one Europa League place and one Conference League position left to the two clubs who fell short.

Thus, a referee blunder at Old Trafford potentially cost Aston Villa a place in Europe's top competition, and with it millions of euros in prize money.

The Sporting News explains why Morgan Rogers had a goal critically disallowed, and how it leaves Aston Villa on the outside looking in.

Why was Morgan Rogers goal disallowed vs. Man United?

In the 73rd minute of Aston Villa's trip to Old Trafford on the final day of the season, with the game still scoreless and the visitors a man down, Rogers put the ball in the back of the net to put his side 1-0 up against all odds.

The Villa man had taken the ball off United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, who appeared to lose control of it when under no pressure inside his own box.

United had battered Aston Villa to that point, especially after Emiliano Martinez was sent off just before halftime for bulldozing Rasmus Hojland who was through on goal.

A man-down goal against the run of play would have put Villa in front and within touching distance of a top-five spot, but the referee's whistle had already blown and VAR could not get involved.

Official Thomas Bramall had already stopped play, as soon as Rogers had nicked the ball out of Bayindir's hands and, crucially, before he struck the shot that put it into the net.

Bramall seemingly believed that Bayindir had control of the ball, and therefore Rogers kicking it out of his hands would have been a foul. However, replays showed that the goalkeeper had not gained control of the ball, thus the decision was a mistake.

Why did VAR not overturn Morgan Rogers disallowed goal?

VAR could not intervene in the incident because the whistle had blown immediately to stop play.

Because the foul was given before the goal was scored, rather than after, the video assistant referee could not get involved in overturning the decision. Had the referee waited until the goal was scored and then disallowed it, VAR could have overturned the call.

This is why assistant referees are told to delay their offside decisions to let play continue, even if they want the play stopped. If the decision is incorrect, and a goal is scored, the call can be overturned. However, in this case, because Bramall blew his whistle immediately, VAR could not overturn a simple foul.