Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has provided his analysis on all three of Nottingham Forest’s penalty appeals against Everton. He emphasized that questioning Video Assistant Referee Stuart Attwell’s integrity, as Forest did following their 2-0 loss on Sunday, is unjustified.
Dermot Gallagher say people can question Stuart Attwell's decisions in Nottingham Forest's match with Everton but it's "not right to question his integrity" ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/j5cZMuAVSs
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 22, 2024
The club’s X account posted an inflammatory message stating, “Three extremely poor decisions — three penalties not given — which we simply cannot accept,” leading Forest to face an FA investigation.
“We warned the PGMOL that the VAR is a Luton fan before the game, but they didn’t replace him. Our patience has been repeatedly tested. NFFC will now consider its options.”
The PGMOL informed Mail Sport that all officials are impartial and must declare any allegiances. They stated that officials with allegiances to a particular team “will not be assigned that team’s matches or certain other fixtures such as those involving direct (location) rivals of that club.”
All three penalty appeals were against Ashley Young for fouls on Gio Reyna and Callum Hudson-Odoi, as well as a handball incident.
"I think it's minimal contact" 🔍
Dermot Gallagher explains why he believes it was the correct decision not to award Nottingham Forest a penalty for this challenge from Ashley Young 👇 pic.twitter.com/vYTinfiZlC
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 22, 2024
“We alerted the PGMOL before the game that the VAR is a Luton fan, yet they didn’t replace him. Our patience has been thoroughly tested. NFFC will now explore our options.”
The PGMOL informed Mail Sport that all officials are impartial and are required to declare any allegiances. They clarified that officials with affiliations to a specific team “will not be assigned that team’s matches or certain other fixtures such as those involving direct (location) rivals of that club.”
All three penalty appeals were directed against Ashley Young for fouls on Gio Reyna and Callum Hudson-Odoi, as well as a handball incident.
Gallagher asserts that the decision was correct. “I think no [penalty]. I believe the referee had the ideal perspective. While there was contact, not all contact constitutes a foul. It appears to be minimal contact, and the referee had the clearest view.”
“What I would say is, once the referee has reviewed it and determined no foul, the VAR is unlikely to intervene. While there is contact, we must be cautious not to over-sanitize the game, interpreting every instance of physical contact as a foul. Personally, I don’t see it as a penalty. There is contact, certainly, but I don’t believe it warrants a penalty.”
"I think it's a decision that could have gone either way" ⚖
Dermot Gallagher analyses whether Nottingham Forest should have been awarded a penalty after the ball struck Ashley Young's hand 👇 pic.twitter.com/REj76NsQnk
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 22, 2024
The second incident that stirred Forest’s frustration occurred when the ball made contact with Young’s hand near the end of the first half. As Hudson-Odoi attempted to play the ball across the goalmouth, it struck Young’s arm, with the appearance of his arm moving towards the ball.
“This is the most challenging decision,” Gallagher remarked.
“Is his arm in that position because he’s in motion? Is he too close? There are various factors to consider. I believe he would be very harshly judged if a penalty were given for that, but having said that, we’ve seen in other leagues, such incidents being awarded penalties. In the Premier League, the referee’s opinion is no, considering it’s too close and the natural position of the arm. I think it’s a decision that could have gone either way.”
Regarding a moment in the second half when Young slid into the back of Hudson-Odoi, Gallagher was certain it should have been a penalty.
"I think it's a penalty for a couple of reasons" 💬
Dermot Gallagher explains why he believes Nottingham Forest should have been awarded a penalty for this challenge from Ashley Young 🔍 pic.twitter.com/XHj3C471Oc
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 22, 2024
“I believe it’s a penalty for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I think the defender found himself on the wrong side of the forward. Secondly, if you observe the referee, he actually signals that the defender played the ball.”
“Well, he certainly doesn’t play the ball, that’s for sure. So, I wonder, based on that, if he has signaled to everyone that he has played the ball, whether the VAR could intervene and say, ‘well, he hasn’t played the ball, you might want to review this.’
“If the referee goes to the screen, he could maintain his decision, saying, ‘there’s not enough in it, I understand that.’ But I think we’d be content if we reviewed it and concluded that, even if he ultimately decides no penalty, rather than looking at it and believing he played the ball.
“I believe the VAR probably determined it wasn’t a penalty, [judging that] it wasn’t a clear and obvious error.”
