According to a report by the Evening Standard on Monday, November 9, 2026, former Premier League manager Tim Sherwood has explained why he believes Patrick Dorgu's last-minute equaliser for Manchester United against Aston Villa should have been disallowed.

The former Tottenham Hotspur manager disagreed with the officials' decision to approve the goal, claiming that United goalkeeper Senne Lammens committed an offence against Aston Villa's Zion Suzuki during the corner-kick situation.

Manchester United secured a dramatic 4-4 draw against Aston Villa after producing a spirited comeback at Old Trafford. Michael Carrick's team had been trailing by two goals but managed to rescue a point with two goals scored in the closing stages of the encounter.

In their desperate attempt to avoid defeat, Lammens moved forward from his goalkeeping position to join his teammates for a late corner. The decision brought the United goalkeeper into the middle of Villa's penalty area, where he became involved in an incident with Suzuki.

Although Lammens failed to touch the ball, his movement and contact with the opposing goalkeeper appeared to affect Suzuki's attempt to deal with the delivery. The Villa shot-stopper could not gather the ball comfortably, allowing substitute Patrick Dorgu to take advantage and score with a header.

While the goal was celebrated by the home supporters, the circumstances surrounding it raised questions about whether the referee should have awarded Aston Villa a foul.

Speaking on Sky Sports' Ref Watch, former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher defended the decision, arguing that there was not enough contact to justify disallowing the equaliser.

Gallagher admitted that Lammens and Suzuki came into contact but suggested that the Villa goalkeeper needed to be more aggressive when attempting to claim the cross. He maintained that Suzuki had an opportunity to deal with the situation and that the referee was entitled to allow play to continue.

Sherwood, however, rejected that interpretation and maintained that the officials had made a mistake. He argued that the referee should have recognised the interference and awarded Villa a free-kick instead of allowing Dorgu's header to count.

The former Aston Villa manager also questioned whether the decision would have been the same if the incident had occurred at a different Premier League venue. He suggested that playing at Old Trafford might have influenced the way the situation was judged.

Sherwood further explained that Lammens appeared to be more concerned with stopping Suzuki from reaching the ball than attempting to compete for the corner himself. In his opinion, the United goalkeeper deliberately disrupted his opponent's movement.

He also criticised Matheus Cunha's involvement, alleging that the Brazilian forward held Suzuki's left arm and made it even harder for the goalkeeper to challenge for the delivery.

Former Premier League striker Jay Bothroyd shared Sherwood's concerns about the incident but also acknowledged that Suzuki could have been stronger in dealing with the corner.

The controversial equaliser has therefore generated different opinions among football pundits, with Sherwood maintaining that Aston Villa were denied a deserved free-kick during the dramatic encounter.