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A bizarre no goal call saw Aston Villa and Sheffield United finish in a 0-0 draw as the Premier League returned to action after a 100 day absence due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Players made a statement of support for the worldwide protests against racism by kneeling once the whistle for kick-off had been blown and all jerseys had the words Black Lives Matter on the back in place of names.
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Sheffield United looked to have taken the lead shortly before half-time when Villa keeper Orjan Nyland stumbled backwards into his own net after catching a corner kick. However, neither goal-line technology or VAR intervened to overrule the on-field decision of no goal and the first half ended scoreless.
Referee Michael Oliver, pointing to his watch, looked to indicate that goal-line technology had not verified the ball had crossed the line, despite what appeared to be clear evidence on TV replays.
After the match a statement from Hawk-Eye Innovations that powers goal-line technology in the Premier League said that all seven of their cameras were blocked by Nyland, a defender and the goalpost, with the company apologising to the Premier League and teams for the incident.
The statement added that this had never happened in 9,000 matches that the technology had been in use.
A physical second half saw both sides battle hard for a go-ahead goal, but none came and the result leaves Aston Villa on 26 points in the relegation zone and Sheffield United on 44 points in their chase for European football.
Along with the Black Lives Matter tributes, there was a moment’s silence before kickoff in memory of those who died in the COVID-19 health crisis, which included the father of Villa manager Dean Smith.