Nottingham Forest has requested clarification from the Premier League and the Professional Game Match Officials Board Limited (PGMOL) regarding Ivan Toney’s disputed free-kick, which contributed to Brentford’s 3-2 victory on Saturday.
After being suspended for eight months due to betting violations, Toney made his return to the game. During the match, he adjusted the referee’s disappearing foam and moved the ball to a more favorable spot before scoring a goal. This equalized the score for Brentford, who went on to win the game with additional goals from Ben Mee and Neal Maupay.
After the game, Forest manager Nuno Espírito Santo expressed complaints about the contentious incident. According to Nuno, the law clearly states that any situation that results in a goal must be reviewed. He added that the issue was not a small one, as Toney had moved the ball almost a yard.
Nottingham Forest has sent a letter to the governing bodies to inquire about the legality of Toney’s actions. The player himself claimed they were within the rules, but Forest wants clarification on whether it was considered a foul. Toney explained, “I shifted it slightly to the side because you have a bit of leeway.”
The club is seeking clarification on whether players are permitted to manipulate the ball in this way before a set piece. If not, they are questioning why the video assistant referees were unable to intervene. Forest has dropped to 16th place in the table following their loss, as Brentford surpassed them with their first league win in six matches.
The Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville appeared to give Forest’s complaints short shrift on social media. “Clubs writing to the PGMOL is embarrassing!” he wrote on X. “Liverpool and Arsenal started it and set the precedent of this nonsense.”
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Neville expressed disappointment in the referees and acknowledged the high levels of stress they face currently. He believes it would benefit clubs to collaborate with the referees to help them improve, rather than publicly criticizing them.
Source: theguardian.com
