It is nights like this one at Villa Park where it’s a legitimate question to ask whether referees have got too used to the hand-holding of VAR.
On paper this was an all-Premier League tie being played out in the FA Cup with the quirk that there would be no VAR across the fourth round.
Given its reputation – Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has never warmed to the technology – many rejoiced pre-match. By the end, the consensus was just how on earth games can be played without it in future.
This was farcical and the only relief for the officials will be that despite a litany of errors, Newcastle still managed to come out on top thanks to Sandro Tonali’s second half brace.
Before you get to that Italian Job, though, you get the chaos. Loads of it. Offside goals, penalties not given and red cards overlooked for yellows.
Villa opened the scoring 14 minutes in with Tammy Abraham a yard offside. Lewis Hall was then scythed down in the area by Victor Lindelof but no penalty given at the other end.
Sandro Tonali’s double helped Newcastle to a 3-1 win over Aston Villa on a great day for VAR
The lack of VAR in the FA Cup tie proved a disaster for officials as several mistakes were made – with Tammy Abraham putting Aston Villa ahead despite scoring from an offside position
Newcastle should have had a penalty but officials gave a free-kick for a handball inside the box
Then Lucas Digne clattered into the shin of Jacob Murphy but got away with a yellow.
Before the first half even finished Villa goalkeeper Marco Bizot recklessly raced from his goal to the halfway line to wipe out Murphy on a three-on-one break for Newcastle. Even referee Chris Kavanagh didn’t need VAR to give that red card.
But the mistakes piled up. Come the second half, just after the hour, Kavanagh gave a free-kick for a Digne handball that was at least two yards inside the penalty area. That one was at least glossed over when Tonali drilled in an equaliser within 60 seconds of that free-kick.
Kavanagh is an experienced official, as are his linesmen Gary Beswick and Nick Greenhalgh, but these mistakes were basic. This wasn’t a case of a toenail or a forehead being offside. These were clear-cut decisions that should not require video replays.
And yet somehow this contest became the greatest advert of VAR ever made.
This competition is priority No 3 for both sides with Newcastle still in the Champions League and with ground to make up in the league, while Aston Villa believe they can go on and juggle a top four finish with glory in the Europa League.
But Unai Emery could have fooled everyone inside Villa Park at the suggestion he is relatively unbothered by this competition as he bounced around his technical area in the early stages.
Emery has never won a trophy in England, something of an irritation no doubt. There have been a flurry of semi-finals but so far it’s been more bridesmaid than bride. Losing this one will sting.
Nick Woltemade secured the win with Newcastle’s third goal in the 88th minute at Villa Park
Marco Bizot was sent off just before half-time for a rash tackle 40 yards from his goal
Even after making seven changes to the side that squeaked past Brighton here in midweek, this was a Villa side brimming with quality as Tammy Abraham, Leon Bailey and Morgan Rogers all flew out of the blocks.
Abraham was fixed in Emery’s eye as the teams settled into the contest. Clapping his hands frantically and darting left and right in his technical area, he was chasing down every loose ball he was urging his striker to go for.
But when it came to the breakthrough, it wasn’t boundless energy from Abraham did it, it was a routine straight off the training ground.
Those are in vogue now, training ground routines. Manchester United got to peacock around after their successful corner routine against Tottenham Hotspur recently, and this time, with a large slice of good fortune, it was the Villa bench doling out pats on the back.
Rogers lined up to take the free kick around 30 yards out as Douglas Luiz began casually walking towards his team-mate and referee Kavanagh, only to bamboozle Newcastle by turning on a sixpence and delicately clipping the ball over the Toon backline.
Everybody froze, except for Abraham. First touch off the chest, and the second a sweeping finish into the net with his right foot. Newcastle’s players appealed furiously to Kavanagh and linesman Nick Greenhalgh to no avail.
Abraham was a yard offside and looked it in real time. For all the close calls we see on a week-by-week basis, this wasn’t one of them.
Eight minutes later there were more Newcastle grievances as Hall was clumsily fouled in the box by Lindelof. If he got a touch on the ball it was incredibly slight. It was a clear foul and a clear penalty that both Kavanagh and the other linesman on the night, Beswick, waved away.
Lucas Digne was also only given a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Jacob Murphy
By this point Howe – rightly – sought answers from fourth official Paul Tierney. These weren’t close calls. At one stage he laughed despairingly.
It took one of the most idiotic decisions in recent memory from Bizot produced something better suited to WWE than football when he wiped out Murphy.
So Villa scrapped as best they could in the second half, blunted going forward thanks to the reshuffle brought on by their goalkeeper’s stupidity.
Both Tonali strikes from the edge of the box nestled in the bottom corner and out he held an L with his hand in celebration. Woltemade added the cherry on top three minutes from time.
But in truth, the only loser here was the officials. Guess VAR is alright after all.
