Nottingham Forest have launched an astonishing statement after the 2-0 defeat to Everton, criticising the PGMOL's decision to appoint "a Luton fan" in the VAR booth.
In a game described as the 'Deduction Derby' courtesy of both teams having received points penalties for breaching the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules, goals from Idrissa Gueye and Dwight McNeil earned the Toffees a potentially-pivotal three points at Goodison Park.
As a result, 16th-placed Everton have moved four points clear of Forest who are a position lower, with the East Midlands outfit remaining a point above the relegation zone.
During the contest on Merseyside, three penalty appeals went against Forest, all for incidents involving Everton's Ashley Young.
© Reuters
What happened?
The veteran wide player appeared to clip Giovanni Reyna inside the penalty area during the first half, only for VAR to deem that not enough contact had been made to overrule the initial decision made by the referee.
Should Nottingham Forest have had a penalty for this? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/U13SmkNgHf
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 21, 2024
Moments before half time, Callum Hudson-Odoi's volleyed cutback hit the outstretched arm of Young, only for the close proximity to lead to no overrule occurring.
After half time, Young again became involved with Hudson-Odoi, with both the on-field referee and VAR ruling he had made a fair challenge despite a tangling of legs.
Once the full-time whistle had gone, it took Forest's social media account just five minutes to post their frustration over the aforementioned incidents.
Three extremely poor decisions - three penalties not given - which we simply cannot accept.
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) April 21, 2024
We warned the PGMOL that the VAR is a Luton fan before the game but they didn't change him. Our patience has been tested multiple times.
NFFC will now consider its options.
While the official in question was not mentioned in Forest's statement, Stuart Attwell was the VAR official for this particular game.
As it stands, the PGMOL are yet to react to Forest's comments, but they come just a month after former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg was appointed as the club's referee analyst.
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