Premier League returns with faulty technology robbing Sheffield United
Sheffield United were denied three points in a 0-0 draw that marked the Premier League's return on Wednesday after goal-line technology failed to detect a legitimate goal at Aston Villa.
Orjan Nyland backpedaled to catch Ollie Norwood's overhit set-piece in the 42nd minute, but the Villa goalkeeper was nudged backward by his teammate Keinan Davis. Goal-line technology didn't recognize that Nyland carried the ball over his line and there was no intervention from the Video Assistant Referee, Paul Tierney.
The company that operates the technology, Hawk-Eye Innovations, apologized for the incident after the match.
"The seven cameras located in the stands around the goal area were significantly occluded by the goalkeeper, defender, and goalpost. This level of occlusion has never been seen before in over 9,000 matches that the ... system has been in operation," its statement explained.
There were powerful moments before a ball was kicked. A minute's silence was observed to reflect on the devastation caused by the coronavirus outbreak and, when Oliver sounded the whistle for the start of the match, players and officials took a knee in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
Players' names on the back of shirts were replaced by the words "Black Lives Matter." Heart-shaped badges additionally featured on the teams' jerseys to recognize the efforts of National Health Service workers.
Aston Villa started brightly and went close when Davis headed over in his first league start of the season. Kortney Hause rose well to nod a Jack Grealish corner back across goal, but Sander Berge did enough to unsettle Davis in the subsequent aerial duel.
Anwar El Ghazi was denied a penalty despite slight contact from John Lundstram and Hause continued to be a menace under set-pieces, but Sheffield United came closest to scoring in the first half. In fact, the ball comfortably crossed the line.
It remains to be seen how the faulty technology will affect Sheffield United's pursuit of Champions League football in the 2020-21 season. The referee's watch did eventually flash and buzz to confirm the ball crossed the line when he was in his dressing room at halftime, according to Sky Sports. This report was later refuted by ESPN's Dale Johnson, who said the technology was being "tested" at the interval.
Seven minutes after the restart, Villa almost poured salt into the Blades' wounds and reignited their fight for survival when Dean Henderson excellently thwarted a close-range effort from Davis. Davis was also inches away from converting an El Ghazi cutback and John McGinn, back in Villa's XI for the first time since fracturing his ankle in December, forced Henderson into another good save two minutes later. Sheffield United were hanging on.
But the game lost its rhythm after each side made substitutions. The match trundled toward an anticlimactic nil-nil draw to kickstart the Premier League campaign.
Villa could've taken a precious three points but may consider themselves fortunate to have not gone a goal behind during the controversial goalmouth incident.
The Blades, meanwhile, face a tough run-in to conclude the term. Their nine remaining league matches include meetings with Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Chelsea, and Leicester City.