Unai Emery says Aston Villa will appeal against Jhon Duran's red card in the Boxing Day defeat to Newcastle United.
Villa were badly beaten at St James' Park, where the home side climbed to fifth place in the Premier League with a 3-0 win.
The visitors played with ten men for more than an hour after Duran was sent off after he appeared to aim a kick at Newcastle defender Fabian Schar as the pair fell to the ground.
The 21-year-old became the youngest player to be sent off in a Premier League match on Boxing Day since 17-year-old Wayne Rooney was given his marching orders during Everton's match against Birmingham City in 2002.
Emery, however, felt the decision was harsh.
When asked if Villa would appeal the red card, the head coach said: “Of course. Three games because of this red card is difficult to accept. You can watch the video, the images were not clear.”
“[He is now out for] three games, maybe it's because it's Jhon Duran? We try to teach and guide him the right way, and he is doing his best.
“The referees must also be fair and take their time in making the decision.”
Meanwhile, Ezri Konsa acknowledged that Duran's dismissal “killed the game” for the visitors.
“We conceded early and that is demoralizing. Then comes the red card and that is tough,” said the Villa defender.
“Sometimes we have defended well as a team, but if you defend most of the game, chances will come. We have to learn from this.
“From where I was, it looked like Jhon Duran couldn't move, but we can't change it now. It ruined the game, especially because he was in good shape. We have to move on.”
Loss. #NEWAVL pic.twitter.com/CES3r4dlWH
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) December 26, 2024
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