Sheffield United robbed by bizarre goal-line technology blunder
SHEFFIELD United boss Chris Wilder was left baffled after the Blades were denied victory at Aston Villa by a technical fault.
Goal-line technology failed to award the visitors a winner after Orjan Nyland carried Oliver Norwood’s first-half free kick over the line.
Referee Michael Oliver’s watch failed to signal the goal and the game continued.
It stopped the Blades moving above Manchester United into fifth as they continue to mount a surprise European challenge.
Hawk-Eye, which runs the technology, issued a statement apologising for the error, saying the fact goalkeeper Nyland, Keinan Davis and the post were in the way meant no camera saw the ball cross the line.
But Wilder insisted it was clear the ball was over.
“It was in the Holte End, the goalkeeper was in the Holte End and eight rows back. Everyone knew it, saw it and felt it,” he said. “I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Already the jokes have started, I’ve just seen Del Boy with a Hawk-Eye watch on. It’s all going to come out but we’re pretty disappointed and we’ve got to get on with it.
“I believe a decision should have been made from Stockley Park [the VAR centre]. For someone to tell me with seven cameras and this is the first time it’s happened in over 9 000 games it’s a difficult one to take.”
Nyland tried to claim Norwood’s deep free kick three minutes before the break but was bundled across the line by team-mate Davis. It was clear the ball crossed the line but referee Michael Oliver’s watch did not signal a goal.
It was the only serious flashpoint for United as they struggled to impose themselves on a Villa side who, for all their effort, lacked cutting edge.
Villa were marginally better and Conor Hourihane and John McGinn were denied by Dean Henderson while Davis and Kortney Hause headed over. But they failed to move out of the bottom three ahead of hosting Chelsea on Sunday.
In the later kick-off, Manchester City demolished Arsenal on their return at the Etihad as goals from Raheem Sterling, a Kevin De Bruyne penalty and a stoppage-time Phil Foden strike earned Pep Guardiola’s side victory against his former City assistant Mikel Arteta.
After Sterling had opened the scoring on the stroke of halftime, things quickly got worse for the Gunners after the break when David Luiz was sent off after conceding a penalty for a foul on Riyad Mahrez, with De Bruyne tucking away the resulting spot-kick.
Foden then struck in the first of 11 minutes of time added on to wrap up a comfortable return to action for the Premier League champions.