Aston Villa’s late push for Champions League qualification came to a disappointing end with a controversial 2-0 defeat to Manchester United on the last day of the season.

Attention immediately turned to Morgan Rogers’ disallowed goal in the 73rd minute, which VAR could not intervene in after referee Thomas Bramall blew his whistle before the ball hit the back of the net, with Amad Diallo and Christian Eriksen then securing the win for United.

The defeat meant Villa remained in sixth place, level on points with Newcastle in fifth, and missed out on a spot among Europe’s elite on goal difference.

“The decision to disallow Morgan Rogers’ goal, which would have given the club a 1-0 lead with 17 minutes remaining in the match, was a major contributing factor to the club not qualifying for the Champions League,” a statement from Villa read after the game.

While the statement is true, it is not the only reason Villa ultimately missed out on back-to-back qualification for the Champions League.

Here, Sky Sports takes a look at the defining factors in Villa’s season which led to them being forced to settle for a place in the Europa League next season.

The games that will haunt Villa

By securing seven out of eight wins in the Premier League before the meeting with Ruben Amorim’s Man Utd side, Villa had catapulted themselves back into the race for Champions League places, but they did not always have the same momentum.

Immediate attention turns to the games that could have swayed the race in their favour. The six-minute turnaround at the City Ground against Nottingham Forest, another side who faltered in their search for the top five, hurt the most.

Jhon Duran gave Villa the lead just after the hour mark but goals from Nikola Milenkovic and Anthony Elanga, in the 87th and 93rd minutes respectively, meant Emery’s team walked away empty-handed.

The late Matheus Nunes winner against Manchester City was one of the more recent daggers.

Before the loss to United, that was the last time Villa had tasted defeat in the league. One point from either of those fixtures would have moved them into the top five.

Then there is the glaring problem that will likely haunt everyone associated with the club, taking just two points from relegated Ipswich.

Villa held on to draw 2-2 away from home, with Ipswich the more threatening side for much of the fixture, but failing to beat them at home, even after former loanee Axel Tuanzebe was sent off in the first half, was undoubtedly a missed opportunity.

There was also the 2-0 defeat in February to Wolves, who were 18th at the time and had not won in their last five Premier League games.

Shooting themselves in the foot – conceding first

Qualifying for the Champions League last season for the first time in 42 years was quite the achievement, but it took its toll.

Dealing with the physical aspect of the increased level and intensity of the games in midweek was one problem but the mental side and concentration was another.

Their slow starts to games in the league highlight the impact it had. Villa conceded 16 goals throughout the campaign from the first shot on target they had faced in the fixture, the most of any side.

While they recovered 18 points from losing positions, ranking sixth in the division, sometimes the slow starts proved too costly to outrun, as the loss to City clearly showed.

Points dropped from winning positions

Starting slowly could be addressed by the quality Villa had at their disposal and the talent they could call upon from the bench.

However, failing to see games out with time expiring in the latter stages of the fixture could not. Emery’s side dropped 16 points from winning positions, with no team dropping more in the campaign.

In comparison, Newcastle dropped just seven points and secured a top-five spot as a result.

Losing the lead against Liverpool, drawing with West Ham thanks to their second-half equaliser and conceding late to both Bournemouth and Brighton at Villa Park – they were difficult opportunities for Villa but they were opportunities nonetheless. The errors arrived earlier in the season but eventually came back to haunt them.

Blessing in disguise for Villa?

Despite the disappointment at the final hurdle, it is hard to argue that the season has not been one of the most memorable for the club.

Beating Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain will live long in the memory of Villa supporters, as well as the spirited comeback that almost was against Luis Enrique’s PSG side, who went on to book their place in the final.

But that final game against United has soured the campaign slightly. The dust will need to settle on the frustration from Old Trafford before excitement for next season can begin to build.

As Tottenham showed, the Europa League can bring unprecedented joy and, with Emery at the helm, Villa have a real chance at ending their 29-year wait for silverware. No manager has won the trophy more than him.

The manner in which they missed out will be difficult to take, but dropping down into the Europa League could become a blessing in disguise for this Villa side.

Sky Sports to show 215 live PL games from next season

From next season, Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage will increase from 128 matches to at least 215 games exclusively live.

And 80 per cent of all televised Premier League games next season are on Sky Sports.