Nottingham Forest were controversially denied a Premier League victory over Tottenham Hotspur after a VAR decision ruled out a late Neco Williams goal. The match finished 0-0 at the City Ground on Saturday, a result that leaves Forest 15th in the table with one point from two games, already five points behind leaders Manchester City.
Oliver Glasner's side thought they had secured a dramatic win midway through the second half. Morgan Gibbs-White saw a deflected effort bobble towards goal, and after Sandro Tonali attempted a clearance, Williams headed the ball into the net. Video assistant referee Peter Bankes reviewed the incident for a possible handball and advised on-field official Craig Pawson to disallow the goal, awarding Tottenham a free-kick instead. Glasner was incensed, telling reporters after the match "I don’t think VAR can intervene when he’s guessing. It was not clear and obvious."
Neco Williams, who had signed a new four-year contract with Nottingham Forest earlier in the week, was adamant he scored a legitimate goal. The defender, wearing the number 3 shirt, argued the ball made contact with his head, not his arm. "I headed it in between my arms," Williams stated. "If you’re going to pause it, it’s going to look like it hit my arm but it didn't." The disallowed effort was the closest either side came to breaking the deadlock in a match of few clear chances.
Their only notable chance came in the 88th minute when Dominic Solanke headed onto the roof of the Forest net. Forest created slightly more, with James McAtee forcing a save with a low daisy-cutter. Substitute Omar Marmoush also fired wide after a Spurs counter-attack. The visitors saw left-back Destiny Udogie withdrawn after an hour on medical advice, while their big-money signing Sávio made his Premier League debut after a £75m move from Manchester City.
Spurs' lack of cutting edge continues a difficult start to their campaign. They have now failed to score and have conceded five goals in their two Premier League matches this season. Their only win was a 5-1 Carabao Cup victory against Charlton's B team. Chief executive Vinai Venkatesham watched on as a squad that has cost over £300m in acquisitions struggled again. The club had preferred moves for Cody Gakpo and Iliman Ndiaye halted after failing to sell Richarlison. One bright spot was the return of Mykhailo Mudryk, who came on for his first competitive appearance in 645 days, having previously played under De Zerbi at Shakhtar Donetsk.
The single point leaves Forest looking to build momentum ahead of a tricky away fixture against Aston Villa on September 12th. They will hope to have more firepower available, having scored two and conceded three so far this season. The squad is currently without the injured Nicolò Savona and Ibrahim Sangaré, whose return would be a boost. Fans can check the latest team news on the club's injuries page and view the full fixtures schedule. Forest's next challenge is a trip to face a Villa side sitting 19th in the early table.
