FOREST LEAVE HAMMERS REELING WITH VAR FURY
Nottingham Forest snatched a dramatic 2-1 win over West Ham United in a crucial Premier League relegation battle on Tuesday.
But it wasn’t just the scoreline that grabbed headlines; it was the chaotic finish and VAR calls that have left fans and pundits talking.
West Ham started brightly at the London Stadium, taking the lead in the 13th minute in almost comical fashion. A Crysencio Summerville corner was flicked on by Tomas Soucek and inadvertently turned into his own net by Forest defender Murillo.
Forest hit back just after the hour mark when Nicolás Domínguez met a corner with a looping header to level, swinging momentum firmly in favour of the visitors.
With the game ticking into its final moments and tension rising, controversy struck. Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White went down after West Ham keeper Alphonse Areola tried to punch a cross clear, making contact with Gibbs-White’s face.
After a lengthy VAR check, referee Tony Harrington pointed to the spot, and Gibbs-White calmly converted from 11 metres in the 89th minute to seal the victory.
The decision has sparked a furious reaction from West Ham players and staff. Midfielder Tomas Soucek branded the penalty call “a joke” and even compared the modern interpretation of contact to basketball, suggesting the standards have shifted too far.
Manager Nuno Espirito Santo, a former goalkeeper himself, openly questioned the spot-kick and other VAR interventions, insisting Areola’s challenge shouldn’t have been penalised.
The defeat has ramped up pressure on Nuno’s position, with calls growing louder from supporters and commentators alike as the club’s hopes of Premier League survival hang by a thread.
Image credit: Sky Sports