Aston Villa were left shocked and disappointed after the Football Association rejected their appeal against John Duran’s red card, meaning the striker will be handed a three-match ban.
Referee Anthony Taylor gave the Colombian a straight red card after adjudging that he had deliberately stamped on Newcastle defender Fabian Schar when the pair collided in the first half. Villa’s Boxing Day loss.
Replays showed Duran losing his footing, spinning his left ankle before the right boot landed on Shaar’s back. Duran was subbed off after 32 minutes, with Eddie Howe’s side leading 1-0.
Unai Emery criticized the officials for the decision, which he said killed the game, as Newcastle ran out 3-0 winners against 10-man opponents. The Villa manager has previously been an advocate for the use of video assistant referee technology and was baffled by the lack of intervention at St James’ Park.
“The red card was straight away for the referee, he was the only person in the stadium who didn’t take his time,” said Emery. “He has to be wise to take time and make the right decision.
“In this case you have to use VAR. He must be smart and calm. That’s the way it should be.”
Emery suggested that 21-year-old Duran’s reputation as a hothead could rub off on referees. “Yes, it’s obvious [because of] His reputation,” he said. “He is [Durán] Was saying ‘sorry’ to the player so quickly. He didn’t mean to kick her.”
Duran, who has scored 12 goals in all competitions this season, including seven in the league, will miss the matches against Brighton, Leicester and West Ham, in the third round of the FA Cup. He has started Villa’s last three matches, with Emery preferring him over last season’s top scorer Ollie Watkins.
