Man Utd's Shocking Opening Goal Against Nottingham Forest Sparks Massive Controversy
Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche spearheaded fierce protests regarding Casemiro's opener for Manchester United on Saturday, arguing the crucial corner kick was incorrectly given in what he described as a "ridiculous" situation.
For Forest, the scenario felt painfully repetitive. The City Ground outfit has suffered from questionable assistant referee calls on back-to-back weekends. Bournemouth's Marcus Tavernier found the net directly from a corner that shouldn't have been granted last Sunday, and video evidence indicates that Nicolò Savona maintained possession during the first period of this weekend's clash with United. Dyche expressed absolute certainty.
"There's no ambiguity here," the Forest manager declared angrily to Sky Sports following his team's hard-fought 2–2 stalemate. "I've reviewed the footage."
Match official Darren England relied on his assistant Akil Howson's assessment, who indicated a corner from the far side of the field. Casemiro converted United's advantage from that resulting set piece.
"Naturally you could question our defensive response, but the reality is it's an incorrect call," Dyche lamented during his post-game media session. "What makes it worse is the linesman made this decision from 75 yards distance, with his view obstructed by the goal. Supposedly he has clear sight.
"We can plainly observe the ball suspended above the touchline. Whether it's three-quarters over or not doesn't matter, the truth is it remained in bounds. It's genuinely frustrating."
Dyche appealed for VAR involvement but the video review officials at Stockley Park lack authority over corner kick decisions. Discussion among football's governing bodies includes expanding VAR's scope to cover second bookings before next summer's World Cup. Premier League officiating director Howard Webb has previously shown hesitation about further empowering VAR—"simplicity is better" represents his preferred approach—making it seem extremely doubtful that corners will receive remote scrutiny.
"This requires examination," Forest skipper Morgan Gibbs-White maintained, echoing the criticism, "it has denied us two additional points this afternoon."
Man Utd Mocked by Nottingham Forest Player
Much discussion leading up to Saturday's encounter centered on United's three-game victory run. This naturally increased attention on Frank Ilett, the Red Devils supporter with a popular social media presence, The United Strand, documenting his commitment to avoid haircuts until the team achieves five consecutive wins.
United keeper Senne Lammens recently acknowledged that Illett's antics have reached United's locker room and evidently those at Nottingham Forest are similarly informed about this trend.
Forest full-back Neco Williams posted a pointed social media comment. "Earned more than one point," he stated. "That haircut might need postponing."
Amorim: Man Utd Would Have Lost This Game Last Season
Despite the disputes and sharp remarks, United manager Ruben Amorim focused on encouraging aspects. "Considering the match, we lost our grip for five minutes," he shared with Match of the Day. "I believe in the not-so-distant past if we encountered this scenario [moving from 1–0 ahead to 2–1 behind] we would have found it far more challenging than today.
"My impression is we performed admirably but our intensity dipped slightly. When we maintain full energy we are the superior side. My squad is contributing everything but we possess the capability to improve further.
"Occasionally we experience these phases. Ultimately we surrendered two points and must secure three points in our upcoming fixture."
United's quest for launching another victory sequence must wait until next Saturday, when they travel to face an inconsistent Tottenham Hotspur at their home venue.