🚨 “IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RED!” — UNAI EMERY SPEAKS AFTER ASTON VILLA’S DEFEAT AS HIS VERDICT ON THE REFEREE AND MAATSEN INCIDENT LEAVES FANS FUMING

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has broken his silence after his side suffered a painful 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Villa Park — and the Spaniard did not hold back when discussing the controversial challenge that left Ian Maatsen injured.

Aston Villa looked set to rescue at least a point after Alysson cancelled out Liam Delap’s opener in the second half.

However, their hopes were dealt a huge blow late in the match when Maatsen was forced off after a heavy challenge from Nottingham Forest midfielder James McAtee.

With Villa having already used all of their subs, the home side were forced to continue with just ten players.

And Forest immediately took advantage of that.

Igor Jesus struck in the 88th minute to secure a dramatic 2-1 victory for Nottingham Forest and leave Emery’s side still searching for their first Premier League win of the campaign.

But while Emery accepted that his team had not performed well enough in the second half, the Aston Villa boss was clearly unhappy with the decision not to show McAtee a red card.

🚨 Unai believes McAtee should have been sent off

The incident occurred during the closing stages when McAtee challenged Maatsen.

The Forest midfielder was shown a yellow card by referee Andy Madley, but Maatsen was left unable to continue and had to leave the pitch.

Speaking after the match, Emery insisted that VAR should have intervened.

The Villa boss said that after watching the incident again, he believed it was a clear red-card offence.

“For me watching it again, VAR should be there. For me if I was in the VAR and I was a referee, it was a red card.”

Unai Emery was particularly frustrated because the challenge did not simply result in a disciplinary decision — it also left Villa without one of their defenders for the crucial final moments.

And Forest would go on to punish them almost immediately.

😡Aston Villa forced to play with ten men

Maatsen was unable to carry on after the challenge, but Emery’s side had already made their permitted substitutions.

That meant Villa had no option but to continue with ten players.

The situation became even more painful for the home supporters when Forest found the winning goal just minutes later.

Igor Jesus finished in the 88th minute after Forest exploited the space available against a depleted Villa defence.

The sequence of events left Emery questioning what might have happened had McAtee been dismissed instead.

The Spaniard suggested that the match could have been completely different if both teams had been reduced to ten men.

“It should have been a red card, and maybe finishing with 10 versus 10, maybe it would have been a different match.”

🗣️ But Emery refuses to blame everything on the referee

Despite his frustration with the decision, Emery surprisingly refused to use the controversial incident as an excuse for Aston Villa’s defeat.

The Villa boss admitted that his team simply did not perform well enough after the interval.

Villa had controlled much of the first half but struggled to maintain the same level after the restart.

Forest took the lead through Delap shortly after half-time before Alysson restored parity with Villa’s first Premier League goal of the season.

But the visitors ultimately finished the stronger side.

Emery therefore accepted responsibility for his team’s display while maintaining that the McAtee challenge should have resulted in a red card.

“But it’s not an excuse for how we played the second half. We also played poorly, and this is our work and our responsibility or my responsibility.”

That admission could be particularly significant given Aston Villa’s difficult start to the Premier League campaign.

The defeat means Emery’s side remain without a league victory after their opening four matches, despite their encouraging Champions League victory over Club Brugge earlier in the week.

🚑 Fresh concern over Maatsen

The situation surrounding Maatsen could also become a major concern for Villa.

The defender was unable to put weight on his leg following the challenge and had to be helped from the pitch.

Emery subsequently admitted that the injury could potentially keep the player out for a significant period, describing the possible absence as potentially a “long, long time.”

That would be another major blow for Villa, who have already been dealing with injury problems.

Pau Torres was also forced off during the first half of the Forest defeat, adding to Emery’s concerns at the back.

👀 Fans left furious

For many Aston Villa supporters, the frustration will not simply be about the 2-1 scoreline.

The timing of the Maatsen incident, the fact that Villa were forced to play with ten men and the fact that Forest scored the winner shortly afterwards have combined to make the decision even more controversial.

Emery may have accepted responsibility for his team’s poor second-half performance, but his message regarding the McAtee challenge was unmistakable.

He believes VAR had a clear opportunity to intervene — and that the decision not to do so ultimately contributed to one of the most frustrating moments of Villa’s afternoon.

Now, attention turns to Maatsen’s injury assessment and Villa’s response.

Because after another disappointing Premier League result, Emery knows his side cannot afford for their difficult start to continue for much longer.

And judging by his post-match comments, the Aston Villa boss certainly feels his players deserved better protection in the incident that changed the final stages of the game.