Sandro Tonali fires Newcastle past 10-man Aston Villa on bad night for officials

Guardian Sport

by John Brewin at Villa Park

February 14, 2026

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Newcastle United secured a dramatic 3-2 victory against Aston Villa in an FA Cup third-round clash at Villa Park, with Sandro Tonali scoring twice and Nick Woltemade delivering the decisive clincher. The match was marred by controversial officiating decisions, which played a significant role in shaping the outcome. Referee Chris Kavanagh and his team faced heavy criticism for their handling of the game, particularly for failing to award what appeared to be a clear penalty in favor of Newcastle early on. Despite these challenges, Eddie Howe’s side managed to rally and complete a comeback, overcoming a 10-man Aston Villa who were reduced to fewer players due to an off-the-ball incident involving talismanic forward Philippe Coutinho. The debate over the use of video assistant refereeing (VAR) was thrust back into the spotlight following this match. The FA Cup rules stipulate that VAR can only be utilized from the fifth round onward, leaving matches like this one without the benefit of on-field reviews. This decision left Kavanagh and his assistants to make critical calls manually, leading to a series of errors that ultimately favored Newcastle. While some argue thatVAR is essential for ensuring fairness in elite football, others believe that referees should be trusted to make decisions without technological intervention. This match serves as a microcosm of the ongoing debate about the role of technology in modern refereeing. Aston Villa’s disciplinary issues compounded their problems on the night. The hosts were already down to 10 men earlier than necessary due to an off-the-ball shove by Ezri Konsidine, which went unpunished but ultimately led to a booking for Coutinho after a lengthy delay. This decision left Villa vulnerable

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Originally published on Guardian Sport on 2/14/2026