- Aston Villa were awarded a controversial corner during Friday's FA Cup match
- Ian Wright criticized the decision to award Villa the set piece against West Ham
- Hear It's all starting! Why Manchester United might have to sell Kobbie Mainoo or Alejandro Garnacho
Ian Wright heavily criticized the Aston Villa corner that led to the hosts scoring the first goal in Friday's comeback FA Cup victory over West Ham.
The Premier League affair ended with Wright's former club being eliminated from the historic competition as Unai Emery's Villa came from behind to complete a dramatic victory.
Graham Potter's first game in charge of the Hammers ended in elimination from the FA Cup after Lucas Paqueta had initially given the visitors a surprise lead in the Midlands.
The Brazilian opened the scoring in the ninth minute and West held on until the 71st minute before unblocking his defense in a moment of controversy.
Amadou Onana reacted quickest to a loose ball in the Hammers area, but the decision to award a corner in the run-up to the goal was undermined by Wright and his supporters.
Replays show an off-balance shot by Onana that went through a crowded and offside area with both groups of players waiting for a goal kick to be awarded.
Aston Villa won a corner with this shot that did not touch anyone in the area during Friday's FA Cup match.
Ian Wright harshly criticized Aston Villa's corner kick that led to the home team's first goal.
Amadou Onana later scored from the corner as Villa pulled off their comeback against West Ham.
However, referee Tim Robinson pointed to the corner flag and Onana scored moments later on the set piece that his kick had somehow won.
Wright was angered by the call after the match and criticized the referee for putting West Ham under unnecessary pressure which he eventually relented.
'The referee's assistant made a total mistake in that corner. “I can't believe the referee, he's standing there,” Wright said on ITV Sport.
“He's standing right there, he's walked through a space between people and he hasn't seen that.” There's no one around, how can you go wrong?
'West Ham were in it. Yes, they had to defend a little more because Villa took the lead, they tried, it's a real shame,” Wright added.
The goal sparked Villa's comeback and Morgan Rogers added a second just five minutes later to make it a 2-1 win for the home side with the Hammers unable to respond.
Newly appointed Hammers boss Graham Potter (right) questioned the corner's ruling
Potter appeared to agree with Wright's view of the situation and speaking after the match also questioned whether a corner was the right decision.
“Well, the start of the game was really good, very positive, I thought we had good organisation, we offered a threat, the first half was really good from us,” Potter said.
“In the second half, Aston Villa stepped up and pushed us back too much, losing Fulkrug and Summerville influenced our attacking part of the game, more pressure rather than big chances.
'I'm not sure if the first goal was a corner. It didn't seem like it to me but we'll have to watch it again, it's one of those things. He pushed at the end and had a couple of opportunities. Disappointed to leave, but there are many positive aspects,” he said.