Soccer Football - Premier League - Nottingham Forest v Wolverhampton Wanderers - The City Ground, Nottingham, Britain - April 13, 2024 Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo before the match Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs/File Photo
(Reuters) - Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo said it is difficult to digest refereeing mistakes after his side was denied several penalty shouts in their 2-0 Premier League defeat against fellow relegation-threatened club Everton on Sunday.
The Forest camp was angry at being denied three penalty claims, all against Ashley Young after the Everton full back knocked the foot of Giovanni Reyna, followed by a handball claim and a challenge on Callum Hudson-Odoi in the box.
Just minutes after the game at Goodison Park, the Midlands club issued a strongly worded statement on social media platform X accusing the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) of being a Luton Town fan. Forest added that they will now consider its options.
Reuters has contacted referees body PGMOL for a comment.
"I don't understand the reason and the decision of (referee) Anthony Taylor and VAR Stuart Attwell, because I see the images," Nuno told Sky Sports.
"It is hard to take. There is a penalty on Gio Reyna, it's a kick, don't tell me that is not contact. It's a penalty, then a handball, then the situation of the incident with Callum.
"So it's understandable that we react like this as a club because we want to get things right. We don't want bad referees. We want good decisions.
"Okay if we lost the game today and there were no incidents, we take it... But we did things right, in the right moments."
Having been docked four points for the financial breaches, Forest are 17th in the standings with 26 points, four fewer than 16th-placed Everton, who have a game in hand. Promoted Luton are one place and one point below Forest in the standings.
Forest next host reigning champions Manchester City on Sunday.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru)
