Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings concedes bizarre penalty in nightmare Champions League debut
This incident will be remembered for a long time, but Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings will likely wish to move on from it swiftly.
The 31-year-old committed an unusual error that led to a penalty during the Champions League match on Wednesday, ultimately resulting in a 1-0 loss for Aston Villa against Club Brugge.
In the 50th minute, with the score still tied at 0-0, Mings experienced a brief lapse in focus, which manager Unai Emery described as the “biggest mistake” he has encountered in his career.
After Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez executed a short goal-kick to Mings, who was momentarily distracted, Mings, unaware that the kick had been taken, picked up the ball with his hands and attempted to restart play.
Players from Club Brugge quickly recognized the error and rushed to alert the referee. The official subsequently awarded a penalty, which was confirmed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
Brugge’s captain, Hans Vanaken, successfully converted the penalty, marking Aston Villa’s first defeat in this Champions League season.
“It’s the biggest mistake I witnessed in my career,” Villa manager Unai Emery stated, according to AP. “It has only happened one time in all my life. Today.”
‘A moment of madness’
Former Premier League striker Peter Crouch characterized the incident as “a moment of madness.”
“Even if you believe it is not live, you should not place your hand on it,” Crouch remarked while serving as a pundit for TNT Sports.
His fellow pundit and ex-Premier League defender Alan Hutton described the situation as “very bizarre.” He further stated, “You find yourself scratching your head while observing it.”
Tyrone Mings was making only his second start for Aston Villa since recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained in 2023, which had kept him out of action for 14 months.
The defender, who has represented England 18 times, has not publicly addressed the error. He was substituted in the 66th minute after receiving a yellow card earlier in the match.
Villa defender Ezri Konsa expressed his confusion regarding the decision after the conclusion of the match.
“I didn’t witness it; I only saw the players approaching the referee, claiming handball,” he told TNT Sports. “It disrupts the game.”
A similar incident occurred in last year’s Champions League quarterfinal between Arsenal and Bayern Munich, where Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães handled the ball following a goal-kick taken by goalkeeper David Raya. On that occasion, the referee opted not to award a penalty, allowing Arsenal to continue play.
In other Champions League action on Wednesday, Barcelona secured a 5-2 victory over Red Star Belgrade, aided by a brace from Robert Lewandowski.
However, the triumph was somewhat marred by a serious facial injury sustained by Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi, which required stitches.
Cubarsi was inadvertently kicked in the face while attempting to clear a cross with his head. Following the match, Barcelona shared a photo of Cubarsi on social media, showing him giving a thumbs up.
“Everything for Barça,” read the caption on Barcelona’s Instagram.
In the meantime, both Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain faced defeats in their European matches.
PSG conceded a stoppage-time winner in its 2-1 defeat to Atlético Madrid. Currently 25th in the table, the French side has now failed to win in its last three Champions League games and is at risk of being eliminated from the tournament unless results improve in its remaining four matches.
Arsenal, meanwhile, fell to defeat against Inter Milan, courtesy of Hakan Çalhanoğlu’s first-half penalty. The Premier League club has slipped to 12th in the Champions League table as a result.
