Nottingham Forest has contacted the PGMOL to obtain the audio between match officials and the video assistant referee team after a 2-1 loss to Manchester City at the City Ground. The club is considering issuing a formal complaint due to frustration with decisions made by referee Rob Jones.
Forest feels several moments in the game were handled incorrectly and has asked to review the conversations for explanations.
Head coach Sean Dyche expressed strong disappointment with the officiating during the Premier League fixture. He argued that key calls had a direct influence on the outcome, making it difficult to accept the final score.
Dyche stated that he believed the performance of the officials overshadowed his team’s efforts on the pitch.
Dyche questions decisive moments
Dyche criticised the build-up to Rayan Cherki’s late winning goal, which arrived in the 83rd minute. He insisted that Morgan Gibbs-White was pushed by Nico O’Reilly, leaving him unable to block the shot.
Forest players immediately protested, claiming Gibbs-White was impeded as the corner was delivered.
The coach said he viewed the incident as a straightforward infringement that should have ruled the goal out. He added that VAR should have intervened more decisively after checking the footage.
Dyche stressed that the push affected Gibbs-White’s ability to defend the goal, calling it a clear foul.
Separately, Dyche believed Ruben Dias should have been dismissed after receiving one yellow card before the interval. He argued that a second caution was warranted to reduce Manchester City to ten men.
These interpretations left Forest five points above the relegation line after the result.
Official responses and past tensions
VAR reviewed Cherki’s goal but confirmed Jones’ on-field judgement of no foul. Former assistant referee Darren Cann later commented that there was no “clear and obvious” error. Cann added that opinions would differ on the incident, but the initial call should stand.
The PGMOL has previously provided audio privately for clubs, including Forest, to give clarity on incidents. Howard Webb has also broken down controversial moments on the programme Mic’d Up. Forest hopes new access to the audio will offer further reasoning behind Saturday’s outcome.
There is history between Forest and Jones, as prior disagreements have created tension. Two years ago, Willy Boly was sent off against Bournemouth, leading Nuno Espirito Santo to question VAR involvement in second bookings.
Last campaign, Jones dismissed Nuno for dissent during a match with Brighton, resulting in an FA charge.