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Aston Villa will consider appealing after Jonathan Kodjia was sent off in the 3-1 defeat at Fulham.

The claret and blues’ top goalscorer was given his marching orders on 22 minutes for kicking out at Ryan Fredericks as the two challenged for the ball on the half-way line.

Prior to Kodjia’s kick, Fredericks appeared to also kick his opponent in the chest and boss Steve Bruce suggested that the correct decision would have been to book both players.

Visibly frustrated after the game, he stressed that Kodjia’s actions were not ‘violent conduct’ and admitted they will review the decision.

He also slammed the officials for getting the decision wrong.

“If he was going to send off Kodjia then he has to send off theirs and he has missed their boy kicking out, which provoked it,” said Bruce.

“It was a poor decision as far as I am concerned.”

Asked whether Villa will appeal, Bruce said: “We will have to see. It can’t be deemed as violent conduct, surely? .

“I hope he looks at it because the referee (David Coote) did not give it, the fourth official (Michael Salisbury) did and he was being busy all afternoon.

“He asked me four times to step inside my technical area in the first 12 minutes. I was standing one time six inches out.

“It was him who gave the decision.

“Had he concentrated on the incident instead of looking at me in my technical area he might have got the decision right.

“There was nothing in it.

“The referee did not see much in it because there wasn’t much in it.

“You have to dissect it. Why were there not just two yellow cards?

“It was a bit of petulance, a bit of handbags and on we go, instead of a really difficult afternoon.

“It spoiled the occasion and spoils the match.

“If he kicks him and blatantly kicks him I understand.

“But if anyone kicked out more seriously it was their boy.

“The fourth official has missed the first kick on Kodjia and that has provoked him.

“Is it a kick, or is a dabble, or whatever? I don’t think it is a kick, that is for sure.”