It was a Champions League debut that Tyrone Mings will want to forget. The Aston Villa defender, returning from a 14-month injury layoff, was poised to make history as he featured for the first time in Europe’s elite competition. Instead, he ended up making headlines for all the wrong reasons after a bizarre handball that handed Club Brugge a penalty and led to Villa’s first European defeat of the season.
The 31-year-old’s error, which came in the 50th minute of the match, left both fans and pundits in disbelief. Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez had played a goal-kick to Mings, who, for reasons unknown, picked up the ball with his hands inside the penalty area. The referee, Tobias Stieler, awarded Brugge a penalty after a VAR check confirmed the infringement. Hans Vanaken stepped up to convert the spot-kick, giving the Belgian side a 1-0 victory in what became a costly mistake for Villa.
A clearly frustrated Unai Emery did not hold back in his post-match assessment of the incident. “It was the biggest mistake I’ve witnessed in my career,” said Villa’s manager. “It’s completely strange, something I’ve never seen before. We played a good first half, but the mistake changed everything.”
Emery’s frustration was shared by many observers, with BBC Sport’s Chris Sutton calling it a “brain freeze,” former Leeds forward Lucy Ward labeling it a “shambles,” and ex-England striker Peter Crouch describing it as a “moment of madness.”
The strange sequence began when Martinez took a short goal-kick, passing the ball to Mings inside the penalty area. However, the defender, seemingly unaware the kick had already been taken and that the ball was in play, reached down and picked it up. The referee halted play, and after a VAR review, Mings was penalized for the handball, leading to Brugge’s crucial penalty.
While such an error isn’t unheard of in football, it’s a rare occurrence at the highest level. A similar incident occurred last season when Arsenal’s Gabriel was penalized for handling a goal-kick in their quarter-final against Bayern Munich. However, the Gunners were not punished on that occasion, with referee decisions being debated in the aftermath.
Villa players took the mistake in stride, with defender Ezri Konsa acknowledging the error but urging his teammates to move on. “It’s part of football,” he said. “It’s our first loss in the Champions League, and we have to learn from it.”
Stephen Warnock, a former Villa defender, also weighed in on the incident, noting that Mings likely did not notice Martinez’s kick was already taken, which contributed to the mistake. “Mings wasn’t looking at Emi Martinez at all, which is why he thought he could pick the ball up,” Warnock explained.
Sutton, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, described the mistake as “absolutely crazy” and questioned Mings’ decision-making. “What is he thinking? It’s a brain freeze. Tyrone Mings might have done it when he was three years old, but not on a Champions League debut.”
Crouch, meanwhile, added, “Even if you don’t think the ball is live, you don’t just pick it up. It was a moment of madness.”
For Mings, it was a bitterly disappointing end to what had started as a dream evening. After 14 months on the sidelines due to a serious knee injury, Mings made his long-awaited return to the pitch, featuring in Villa’s Champions League campaign for the first time. But the penalty blunder overshadowed what should have been a triumphant moment in his career.
The former Ipswich and Bournemouth defender was substituted just 14 minutes after conceding the penalty, and Villa were unable to recover, failing to find an equalizer. Despite the defeat, Villa remain in a strong position in their group with nine points from four matches, and they are still on track to qualify for the last-16 with four group games remaining.
Mings’ misstep may have marred his debut, but it doesn’t detract from the remarkable journey the defender has had, rising from the Southern League with Chippenham Town to one of England’s top clubs. In 2012, Mings joined Ipswich for a modest £10,000 from Chippenham, and his rise through the ranks saw him move to Bournemouth for £8 million in 2015, before joining Villa for £20 million in 2019.
For now, however, his Champions League debut will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. But with Villa still in contention for knockout stages, Mings will have the chance to atone for his mistake in the coming weeks.
