Nottingham Forest manager Oliver Glasner claimed the video assistant referee (VAR) was "guessing" and should not have intervened in ruling out Neco Williams' goal in their 0-0 draw with Tottenham. Williams' second-half effort was chalked off with the full-back adjudged to have bundled the ball in with his arm after some calamitous Tottenham defending at the City Ground. The Forest defender denied it came off his arm and insisted it should have stood.
Initially, referee Craig Pawson awarded the goal but VAR Peter Bankes intervened. "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," said Glasner. "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% clear, stick to the on-field decisions.
This is the inconsistency today. "I told the referee after the game that I felt the goal should have stood." The Premier League's official match centre posted on their X page, external the explanation as to why it was ruled out following the incident in the 67th minute. It stated: "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." The rule states that if the ball has hit the arm of the goalscorer immediately before they score then it must be ruled out, even if accidental.
However, Williams denied that it struck his arm amid the chaos in the Spurs box. "It's a goal," the Forest full-back told Sky Sports. "VAR is there when there is a clear and obvious error and for me that is not clear and obvious.
I've seen the images and the replays and at not one moment did I think I handballed it. I headed it in between my arms. "I knew straight away I've headed it down in between my arms.
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