Aston Villa conceded a bizarre penalty in a 1-0 loss at Club Brugge on Wednesday which ended their perfect start to the Champions League group stage and left Tyrone Mings with a red face.
What had been a lethargic performance for Villa turned absurd in the 52nd minute when Mings inexplicably picked up the ball, believing it was not in play.
Villa keeper Emi Martinez had just lined up a goal kick, sending a short pass to Mings, who then scooped up the ball and gave it back to the Argentinian. The referee pointed to the penalty spot, and Hans Vanaken converted, to the delight of the crowd at Jan Breydel Stadium.
"To be honest I didn't see it. I just saw the players running to the refs saying 'handball'," Villa defender Ezri Konsa told TNT Sports. "It's just one of those ones, it killed the game. If it is a handball, deliberate, then (Mings) should get a second yellow, he's on a yellow already so why not send him off for that then?
"I think it killed the game, it's a mistake but it's not a mistake that we (usually) make. Look, it happened, there's nothing we can do, just got to move on from it."
Unai Emery's side, who had won their opening three games of their first appearance in Europe's elite club competition in 41 years, have nine points after four matches, leaving Liverpool top of the table as the only team with a 100% record. Brugge moved provisionally up to 20th in the table on six points.
"The second half, the mistake changed everything, a team like (Brugge), they are playing at home, defensively strong, they then focus 100% to stop us, they were better than us," Emery said.
It was an unfortunate Champions League debut for Mings, who recently returned after being out for 445 days due to a knee injury. The penalty was the only goal Villa have conceded in their European club competition campaign.
Arsenal got away with a similarly bizarre handball in a Champions League game against Bayern Munich last season when Gabriel picked up the ball to give it back to keeper David Raya.
MARTINEZ SAVES
Beyond the handball incident, the Belgian champions were the better side on the night. Villa's World Cup-winning keeper Martinez was pressed into action early by Brugge, who had seven shots on target to the Premier League club's one, and made several key saves to keep his team in the game.
Ferran Jutgla was denied by the post before Christos Tzolis pounced on the rebound sending in a low hard shot that the Argentinian keeper pushed away with his finger tips after diving at full stretch.
Mings side-footed Casper Nielsen's header off the goal line, and then Martinez was forced to make a diving save again from Ardon Jashari's shot from the rebound.
Villa's John McGinn had a terrific first-half chance after Boubacar Kamara drove into the space before sending a looping ball over the top to McGinn at the back post, but the Villa captain's header was just off target.
Villa's loss was the latest in a string of disappointing performances for Emery's side, who suffered a 4-1 league loss to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday on the heels of being eliminated from the League Cup by Crystal Palace.
"It's part of football, you win some, you lose some," Konsa said. "Unfortunately wasn't our night. First loss in the Champions League and we have to move on quickly, we can't be down about it, in football games come quick and fast."
Villa, who are sixth in the Premier League standings, travel to Liverpool on Saturday to take on the league leaders.
