Aston Villa’s flawless start to the Champions League group stage was cut short on Wednesday when they gave up an odd penalty in a 1-0 loss to Club Brugge, leaving Tyrone Mings fuming.
Villa’s lacklustre effort took a ridiculous turn in the 52nd minute when Mings picked up the ball for no apparent reason, thinking it was out of play.
Emi Martinez, the goalie for Villa, had just lined up a goal kick and sent a little pass to Mings, who caught the ball and returned it to the Argentine.
The audience at Jan Breydel Stadium cheered when the referee indicated the penalty spot, which was converted by Hans Vanaken.
Liverpool leads the standings with nine points after four games, making them the only team with a perfect record.
Unai Emery’s team had won their first three games of their first appearance in Europe’s top club competition in forty-one years. With six points, Brugge temporarily rose to 20th place in the standings.
Mings, who had returned from a 445-day absence due to a knee injury, had an awful Champions League start. Villa’s only goal in their European club competition campaign was the penalty.
Following their elimination from the League Cup by Crystal Palace, Emery’s team suffered a 4-1 league loss at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Villa’s defeat was the most recent in a run of poor performances.
On Saturday, Villa, now ranked sixth in the Premier League, will travel to Liverpool to play the league leaders.
