Premier League condemns Nottingham Forest statement as 'extremely disappointing' as FA begins investigation

The FA have requested observations from Nottingham Forest, Nuno Espirito, Neco Williams and Mark Clattenburg amid Sunday's penalty drama.

Forest issued an angry statement after their 2-0 defeat against Everton, where three penalties were disallowed.

However, the nature of the statement surprised many with suggestions made by the club that Stuart Attwell, who was working as VAR for the game, is a fan of relegation rivals Luton Town.

The club, which since then requested that the VAR audio of the game be publishedHe will be investigated for this and the FA has also asked his coach Nuno, player Neco Williams and referee analyst Mark Clattenburg for comments.

It is unclear what the request for comments regarding Nuno, Williams and Clattenburg directly relates to.

The statement read: “We have formally requested comments from Nottingham Forest, Nuno Espirito Santo, Neco Williams and Mark Clattenburg as a result of their comments following their Premier League match against Everton on Sunday 21 April.

“We will provide further updates in due course.”

Meanwhile, the Premier League said: “The Premier League was extremely disappointed to read the comments made by Nottingham Forest on social media yesterday following their match against Everton.

“We note that the FA has confirmed that it will investigate the club's statement.

“It is never appropriate to unduly question the integrity of match officials, and the nature of these comments means that the Premier League will also investigate the matter in relation to League Rules.”

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Moments after the Premier League statement, Forest said in a statement: “Following yesterday's match at Everton, the NFFC issued a statement highlighting our concerns about the perception of PGMOL's appointment of VAR for the game. This was a problem we raised with PGMOL before the match due to the fear of the spectacle that would occur if something went wrong with the refereeing in the match. That fear has materialized, as the correctness of three important decisions against the club has been called into question. .

“It is not about individuals but about how the integrity of the game is viewed. We know that referees do not allow external factors to influence their decision making and that all referees must declare their 'loyalties' to PGMOL to avoid any perceived conflict or damage to the game's reputation for integrity.

“However, it is clear that PGMOL must amend its rule on loyalties to take into account contextual rivalries in the league table, not just local rivalries.

“This is not currently within the criteria, but it should be. The mere reliance on match officials to recuse themselves if contextual rivalries exist invites conjecture, as some have recused themselves while others have not.

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“The NFFC maintains its call for greater transparency around PGMOL appointments to further protect the reputation of the game, as intended by PGMOL’s existing approach to loyalties.

“Given the widespread and constant concerns, not only of the fans, players and managers of this club, but of many others and also experts, about VAR decisions throughout this season, any move that increases confidence in the system must be considered properly.”

Forest were left incensed after being denied three penalties they believed they deserved at Goodison Park, with Ashley Young escaping punishment after collisions with Gio Reyna and Callum Hudson-Odoi in the Everton box either side of half-time.

young was also punishment forgiven Just before half-time, the ball hit his outstretched arm in the Everton box.

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The Toffees won the crucial relegation clash 2-0 with goals from Idrissa Gueye and Dwight McNeil giving them three points.

Forest's statement that sparked the investigation and the Premier League's response, published moments after the end of the match, read: “Three extremely poor decisions, three uncalled penalties, which we simply cannot accept.

“We warned the PGMOL that the VAR is a Luton fan before the match but they did not change it. Our patience has been tested several times. The NFFC will now consider its options.”

And requesting the release of the VAR audio on Monday, Forest said: “Nottingham Forest have today submitted a formal request to the PGMOL to make public the audio recordings between officials during yesterday's match against Everton at Goodison Park.

“The club has requested that this be shared for three key incidents of the match: Ashley Young's tackle on Giovanni Reyna (24th minute), Ashley Young's handball (44th minute) and Ashley Young's tackle on Callum Hudson-Odoi ( minute 56).

“We strongly advocate that the wider football community and its fans have access to the audio and transcript for full transparency, ensuring the integrity of our sport is respected.”

Meanwhile, Clattenburg attacked the PGMOL for its 'hat-trick of the howlers' during the game.

The result leaves Everton five points above the relegation zone, while Forest are just one point above 18th-placed Luton.