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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Jack Rosser

Jack Grealish still reeling from Crystal Palace 'diving' controversy as Aston Villa denied goal

Jack Grealish is still frustrated by the controversial decision against him during Aston Villa's defeat to Crystal Palace last month.

The Villa captain looked to have helped rescue a point for his team when assisting Conor Hourihane for an injury-time equaliser, only for play to be pulled back as Grealish was booked for diving in the build-up by referee Kevin Friend.

Grealish, the most fouled player in the Championship last season, was furious at the decision. Beyond denying Villa a deserved point on the road, the 24-year-old was subsequently branded a "diver" and then forced to dwell upon the fallout for over two weeks.

"Does it still bug me? Yeah of course," Grealish told Standard Sport.

"If you watch it back I am running through the middle at high speed.

(Getty Images)

"[Wilfried] Zaha touches me in the back which knocks me off balance and then, truthfully I don't think it was a foul.

"But I don't see how it was a dive, I couldn't believe it.

"The worst thing was we couldn't go and make up for it the next week because it was the international break, we had to dwell on it for 16 or 17 days until our next game. It was a tough one to take."

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