Nottingham Forest fans seethe as ‘scandalous’ VAR audio emerges from Everton
Nottingham Forest fans are seething after PGMOL chief Howard Webb admitted they should have been awarded a penalty in their controversial game against Everton last month (21 April).
On Sky Sports’ Mic’d Up, Webb acknowledged that the Reds should have been given a spot-kick for Ashley Young’s tackle on Callum Hudson-Odoi in the 55th minute at Goodison Park.
Following the 2-0 defeat, Forest released a damning statement claiming that they should have been awarded three penalties in the showdown and were adamant that Stuart Atwell, the game’s VAR, was a fan of Luton Town – another club mired in the relegation battle.
The first two penalty calls, Young’s contact on Giovanni Reyna and Young’s handball, were deemed by Webb to be “in line with our expectations” despite being “subjective”.
Nottingham Forest fans fume as VAR ‘incompetence’ exposed
Audio of the officials’ conversation during the VAR check for the Hudson-Odoi incident was released and revealed that Young’s tackle was deemed to be a “mutual engagement” and a “coming together” rather than a foul.
Webb noted that he wished Taylor had intervened and consulted the VAR monitor before allowing the decision to stand and claimed the initial call would likely have been overturned.
The defeat left Nuno Espirito Santo’s side firmly in the relegation battle following their four-point deduction earlier this season and they currently sit just one point ahead of the 18th-place Hatters with three games to go.
Forest supporters are furious with the explanations given to them and have taken to social media, with many calling for all the officials involved to be sacked.
In other news, Nottingham Forest could soon be hit by £70m blow – Kieran Maguire.
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