Neco Williams has disputed the VAR decision to rule out what looked like the winner for Nottingham Forest against Tottenham Hotspur.
Forest thought they went ahead against Spurs midway through the second half of their 0-0 draw via the Reds full-back.
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Morgan Gibbs-White’s goalbound shot looked to be heading in as Sandro Tonali and Jan Paul van Hecke scrambled back to try and clear the ball.
But in crept Williams, who pipped the Spurs duo to the ball where he appeared to have bundled in a close-range header.
However, the goal was controversially ruled out for handball, with neither side able to make a breakthrough following the incident.
With the game ending goalless, Forest hit an unwanted Premier League feat as a result of their disallowed goal.
It’s the first time they have not won any of their opening three matches during a Premier League season – and their first time doing so in the top-flight since the 1990/91 campaign.
And Williams, who signed a new deal until 2030 on Friday, expressed his disapproval of the decision to chalk off the goal against Spurs.
He posted a screenshot of the VAR replay on his Instagram and, in the caption, sarcastically said: “Clear and obvious they say.”
Why was the Forest goal disallowed?
The Premier League explained why the goal did not stand with a post from their Match Centre on X.
“VAR checked the referee’s call of goal to Nottingham Forest – and determined that Williams handled the ball immediately before scoring and recommended that the goal was disallowed.”
Referee Craig Pawson also announced: “After review, the ball touches the hand of Nottingham Forest no. 3 before the goal is scored.
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“The final decision is a direct free-kick for Spurs.”
Speaking after the match, Forest boss Oliver Glasner claimed that VAR Peter Bankes was ‘guessing’ when reviewing the goal.
“I watched five or six different angles and, to be fair, from one angle you can guess that the ball touched the arm because the shirt moves a little bit, but it’s not clear is it the ball or (Sandro) Tonali on the goalline,” he said.
“I think the VAR can’t intervene when he is guessing. It was not clear and obvious.
“We had a briefing before the season that the threshold for VAR intervention this year should be very high, which is why this is a wrong intervention.
“If it’s not 100 per cent clear, stick to the on-field decisions. This is the inconsistency today.
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“I told the referee after the game that I felt the goal should have stood.”
More VAR controversy with Forest
The ruled out goal against Spurs came just a week after Forest were beneficiaries of the rules.
Gibbs-White scored for them in the 2-2 draw at Liverpool with a penalty, which was awarded moments after it appeared that Liam Delap made a foul throw.
It was then revealed that VAR cannot intervene with supposed foul throws, and therefore the penalty was allowed to stand.
Forest are 16th with two draws and one defeat, whilst Spurs sit two spots below them after picking up their first point of the season.
