The Premier League’s Independent Key Match Incidents Panel recently made a ruling regarding the VAR controversy that arose during Nottingham Forest’s match against Everton. Forest was up in arms over a series of penalty decisions that did not go in their favor, leading to questions about the integrity of VAR and the match officials involved.
Forest lodged complaints about three incidents in particular, claiming that they were clear penalties that were overlooked by the match officials. Their frustration boiled over, with the club taking to social media to express their discontent. They even went as far as to point out that Stuart Attwell, the VAR official for the match, was a supporter of Luton Town, a club in direct competition with Forest in the relegation battle.
After reviewing the incidents in question, the panel found that only one of the three complaints raised by Nottingham Forest was valid. They unanimously agreed that the claim for a penalty for a foul by Ashley Young on Giovanni Reyna was unfounded, as well as a handball by Young later in the match. However, they did conclude that Young should have been penalized for bringing down Callum Hudson-Odoi in the penalty area.
The panel’s assessment of the foul on Reyna in the 24th minute highlighted that while there was contact between the defender and the attacker, it was deemed minimal and exaggerated by the player seeking the penalty. The level of contact did not meet the threshold required for a penalty to be awarded.
There was a split decision by the panel regarding referee Anthony Taylor’s call not to award a handball against Young in the 44th minute. While the 3-2 vote favored Taylor’s decision, the panel unanimously agreed that there should have been a VAR intervention to review the incident. The panel concluded that Young’s arm position was justifiable, given the proximity of the ball and the nature of the block.
On the other hand, when assessing the foul on Hudson-Odoi in the 55th minute, the panel quickly came to a consensus that Young’s challenge warranted a penalty. They pointed out that Young took a risk by going to ground from the wrong side, allowing Hudson-Odoi to get to the ball first.
The Independent Panel appointed by the Premier League consists of five members, including former players, coaches, and representatives from the league and PGMOL. This panel was established to provide an independent evaluation of major match incidents, without bias from the league or the clubs involved.
The purpose of this panel is to ensure that decisions made during matches are objectively reviewed and assessed, providing a transparent and fair assessment of the incidents in question. The ruling on the VAR controversy between Nottingham Forest and Everton serves as a reminder of the importance of accountability and integrity in officiating decisions.