Danny Mills believes Aston Villa should have followed Leeds United’s lead by allowing Sheffield United to score unopposed following Wednesday’s controversy.
Villa hosted the Blades in the first fixture back of the Premier League’s return, and the main talking point of the game was the failure of the Hawk-Eye technology to award the visitors a clear goal.
Despite goalkeeper Orjan Nyland visibly carrying the ball over the line, the goal wasn’t given due to a fault meaning referee Michael Oliver didn’t receive the confirmation.
The game ended in a goalless draw, and left many questioning why VAR hadn’t intervened to award Sheffield United the goal.
Mills though feels Chris Wilder’s side should have been given the opportunity to score unopposed – like Villa did at Elland Road last year.
Marcelo Bielsa ordered his side to gift their opponents a goal after Mateusz Klich scored while the Villa players had stopped following an injury to Jonathan Kodjia.
And in a heated debate with Gabriel Agbonlahor on Sky Sports’ The Football Show, Mills accused Villa of double standards for not doing the same for their visitor.
Agbonlahor kicked off the debate by saying: “You can’t do that. It’s not their fault, the technology’s not worked. You can’t give Sheffield United a goal like Leeds did last season. That was because Leeds were not fair in the game and they had to give a goal.”
Mills replied, “Last season Aston Villa were outraged because the decision went against them. Bielsa ordered his players to score.
“Aston Villa were very much applauding Leeds and saying it was the right thing to do. Suddenly, now it’s the other way round they’ve gone, ‘Nah, not doing it’.
“If you’re going to praise Leeds and beg for a goal you have to be fair the other way round.”
Agbonlahor said, “You can’t expect the Villa players to give a goal back.”
But Mills replied: “It’s no different to the Leeds game. What’s different? They scored a goal that shouldn’t have been allowed so they let Villa score. What’s the difference?”
