By LUKE POWER

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez left the club’s Champions League hopes in the lurch with a ridiculous straight red card against Manchester United.

The Argentinian came charging out of his goal to meet the ball but Rasmus Hojlund knocked it past him – and so the goalkeeper simply dived into the striker.

Matty Cash had sold him short with the back pass but there was no justifying Martinez’s action and he was given his marching orders straight away.

‘That’s ridiculous, what’s doing?’ said TNT Sports commentator Darren Fletcher. 

Ally McCoist added: ‘The first thing you’ve got to say, Matty Cash doesn’t help him at all. But the goalkeeper – he (Hojlund) is going away from goal, yes, but he’s got a real opportunity to knock it in with his left foot – you’ve got to let him go.

‘I tell you what, I don’t think he’s scoring with his left foot, he’s going that wide. It’s unbelievable. He’s taken it wide and he just barges into him.’ 

Martinez had been instrumental in keeping Villa in the game after United had five shots on target. 

Joe Cole said: ‘It’s just a rush of blood to the head. He knows exactly what he’s doing. It’s a bad pass back, then he takes a touch, he doesn’t even try to disguise it.’

Peter Crouch added: ‘He knows exactly what he’s doing. He goes straight into him. The thing is, Hojlund is devoid of confidence, he’s took it a bit wide, Pau Torres is getting back in – he Martinez has probably got to take the risk (of letting him past()

‘He had to go, it was a clear opportunity.’ 

More to follow. 

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Emiliano Martinez is shown a straight RED CARD for a bizarre BLOCK on Rasmus Hojlund as Aston Villa’s quest for Champions League football takes a damaging blow at Manchester United

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