Nottingham Forest left the City Ground furious after a 2–1 defeat to Manchester City that was defined by controversy rather than quality. A series of disputed refereeing decisions, including a pivotal VAR call late in the match, overshadowed what had been a disciplined and competitive performance from the home side.
Forest believed they had done enough to earn a vital point against the reigning champions. Instead, Rayan Cherki’s late winner, and the officiating decisions that preceded it, left players, staff, and supporters questioning how the match was allowed to finish the way it did.
The final whistle brought anger, disbelief, and frustration at the City Ground. Nottingham Forest’s 2–1 loss to Manchester City felt less like a football result and more like a case study in refereeing controversy.
VAR Scrutiny After “Obvious” Foul Ignored
The decisive moment came when Morgan Gibbs-White was knocked to the floor just seconds before Cherki struck from the edge of the box. Forest argued the midfielder was illegally pushed, preventing him from blocking the shot.
“Morgan Gibbs-White quite clearly gets pushed to the floor and the same player is involved in blocking the ball,” Forest manager Sean Dyche said. “But he can’t block it because as he jumps up, it goes through the bit of his body which he would have blocked it with. Whichever way you look at it it’s a foul.”
Despite a VAR check, referee Rob Jones allowed the goal to stand, a decision that left Forest incredulous.
“Such an easy game to referee, in my opinion, such an easy decision for VAR,” Dyche said.
“When you played so well, to come in and have to talk about officials affecting the game, but they clearly did. Everyone in the stadium and everyone watching at home could see that.”
Dyche also questioned the interpretation used to justify the goal.
“They’ll say, ‘Yeah, the ball wasn’t there’. And you go, ‘OK, so if the ball’s not near the keeper and you push the keeper to the floor, is that going to be a foul then?’
“We all know it is. I can’t work it out. And then they score from it, which is the double whammy.
“I’m a big fan of VAR – I can’t work out how you can’t get that right.”
Second Yellow Card Overlooked in Another Flashpoint
Forest’s anger deepened earlier in the second half when Ruben Dias, already booked for dissent, brought down Igor Jesus as the Forest forward broke into space.
Jones awarded a free-kick but declined to show a second yellow card: a call that could have left City playing with ten men for over 40 minutes.
“They say it’s an accident. If that’s an accident when he’s running through on goal we all know what happens. You get a red card,” Dyche said.
“So why is it an accident and he isn’t yellow carded then?
“I just find it bizarre, I really do. And I think these are easy things. Just give him a second yellow, that’s it. ‘Off you go’. I’m absolutely stunned.”
Big Calls, Big Consequences
With Forest hovering just above the Premier League relegation zone, the impact of such decisions is magnified. A point against an in-form City side would have offered breathing space, but instead the focus has fallen on officiating errors that Forest believe directly influenced the outcome.
In a match where fine margins mattered, Forest were left feeling those margins were decided not by football, but by refereeing calls that failed them when it mattered most.
