90 minutes of hard work was undone in a single moment from the ineptitude of a referee and his linesman. Aston Villa were so close to earning three points at The Hawthorns.
At some point I stopped becoming surprised at what is the complete embarrassment of the EFL’s officiating standards. Week after week there is some sort of match-altering controversy that is poorly missed. It affects every club, not just Aston Villa.
That’s what happened Friday evening as West Brom forward Jay Rodriguez handled a ball not once, but twice, as it rolled into the net with minutes of extra time remaining. That goal ensured points were split evenly for a 2-2 draw.
But enough of that for now. Let’s get into the player ratings as Dean Smith elected for a mostly unchanged XI from the one that trounced Middlesbrough 3-0.
All data provided by WhoScored match center.