'VAR is a Luton fan': Nottingham Forest release surprising statement on 'three penalties' in Everton defeat
Nottingham Forest have issued a stunning statement criticizing the referees during the club's 2-0 defeat to Everton on Sunday.
The 'Tricky Trees' dramatically accused the PGMOL of sending Luton Town fan Stuart Attwell to work on the VAR during their six-point clash at Goodison Park.
The FA have since confirmed they will investigate Forest's statement as it calls into question the integrity of the game.
Forest remain just one point and one place above the Hatters in the relegation zone after fellow Premier League strugglers Everton eased their own relegation worries following goals from Idrissa Gueye and Dwight McNeil.
However, the game could have turned around if Ashley Young had been penalized for any of the three penalty appeals that came his way during the match.
Young first survived a trip on Giovanni Reyna, a handball claim and a challenge from behind on Callum Hudson-Odoi.
All three incidents were controlled by Atwell on VAR, but referee Anthony Taylor's on-field decisions prevailed for each of them.
Forest claimed they had warned PGMOL about the bias before the game and now warned they would “consider their options”.
A statement said: “Three extremely poor decisions – three penalties not imposed – that 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.”
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Forest's frank statement comes after The club hired former Premier League official Mark Clattenburg as an analyst of his referees.
Nuno Espírito Santo's team They have been active in their complaints about VAR and referee decisions throughout the season.
Forest also complained about referee Stuart Attwell and his team-mates in the 3-2 defeat against Manchester United in August.
Expulsion of Willy Boly Against Bournemouth in December, PGMOL manager Howard Webb confirmed to Santo that a mistake had been made.
forest wrote a letter of complaint to the Premier League after Ivan Toney's controversial free-kick goal on his return from his betting ban in Brentford's 3-2 win earlier this year.
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Forest defender Neco Williams told Sky Sports: “Listen, those are three clear and blatant penalties – everyone who watched that game knew they were all penalties.”
“They are clear: every week this happens and now we receive decisions against us.
“I don't know why, it's because we are in the bottom half of the team in the table because I guarantee that the top six teams will receive each and every one of them.
Despite this, his latest complaint was criticized by Jamie Carragher, who described his public response as a disgrace to the club.
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He added to Sky Sports: “It tells you where we are now with the Premier League.
“Stuart Atwell and Anthony Taylor have had a horrible day today, horrible, and they should rightly be criticized for that.
“That could have real implications for Nottingham Forest, I feel frustrated, but that, what I've just read on social media, is like a fan in a pub.
“That's disgraceful on Nottingham Forest's part, I understand the frustration, that nonsense about VAR being a Luton fan, you can't get involved in that.
“You've got to show a bit of class if you're a football club and I get that. The referees have had a terrible, terrible day but you can't get involved in that. That's rubbish!”
