REF JUSTICE!
Villa the winners in Dean’s Christmas card lottery
SOMETIMES it can feel like Mike Dean’s world — and we’re all just living in it. Two red cards, 11 yellows, a stoppage-time penalty and Aston Villa are the victors of the West Midlands derby.
Dean produced his 3,000th career yellow card officiating a match in which Wolves were unable to score in the absence of Raul Jimenez.
The players walked out of the tunnel to a banner the size of three double-decker buses in the Steve Bull stand. ‘Fuerza Raul,’ it read, translating to ‘Strength for Raul’. Above Molineux flew a plane pulling the wordage ‘Get well soon’.
Jimenez, now out of hospital after suffering a fractured skull last month, will have been frustrated watching from home as Villa snatched victory at the death.
Douglas Luiz was s hown a second yellow card in the 85th minute, then Joao Moutinho the same in the 95th. Between those, Dean (right) pointed to the penalty spot, with Anwar El Ghazi burying the late winner.
This was a very big win for Villa and for Dean Smith. ‘I wouldn’t mind the job at Stockley Park, with my slippers on like they seem to have there,’ said the Villa boss afterwards, clearly unhappy with some of the calls by Dean and VAR Graham
Scott. ‘There was only the Leeds game that we deserved to get beaten in this season. Ten games in and, if you deserve to get something out of nine, you’re doing well.’ In Jimenez’s absence because of that head injury, Nuno Espirito Santo chose 18-year-old Fabio Silva to lead the line. ‘It is something we have to do as a team,’ said Nuno, addressing scoring goals without Jimenez. ‘ Find solutions.’ Villa screamed for a spot-kick when the ball struck the arm of Romain Saiss following across.VAR gave nothing, deciding Saiss did not make his body shape bigger.
In the 37th minute, a Wolves counter- attack left them in a fourversus-four situation. Pedro Neto broke at pace before cutting the ball back for Daniel aniel Podence, centre of goal al and inside the box.
Wolves had practised this very scenario during t he warm-up in which they scored time after time. On this occasion, Tyrone Mings was there to o block the shot.
Moments later, Podence ence had another go. His low ow drive from 25 yards swerved and required a strong hand from Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to deny Wolves a first-half lead. In the second half, Ollie Watkins forced Rui Patricio into a one-handed save at his near post. That was the closest Villa had come. Wolves then came even closer when Silva met Podence’s through-ball and struck a first-time shot that bounced back off the post. Leande Leander Dendoncker was subst substituted in the 80th min minute but departed w wondering how he h had not scored with his h last kick of the game — a volley from 12 yards. Dean had not resisted reaching for his cards and got out the red one in the 85th minute. Luiz had challenged for the ball in the air alongside 5ft 5in Podence and used an elbow. Down to 10 men, the visitors did not simply sit deep. In stoppage time, they won a spot-kick. Nelson Se me do dragged down John McGinn after the Villa man had burst beyond him. Dean blew his whistle but, to add a little more drama, paused before pointing to the spot to confirm the penalty.
Substitute El Ghazi took the kick, sending Patricio the wrong way to decide the game 1-0.
Dean’s day was not done. Moutinho tripped Jacob Ramsey in stoppage time. It was innocuous enough but the referee delved for his cards once again. A second yellow, 10 v 10 for the final few moments.
At the full-time whistle, the Villa players came together. Wolves, meanwhile, will have to figure out how to score without Jimenez for the foreseeable.