- Draw in Nottingham Forest vs. Brentford
- Referee and VAR controversy
- Brentford’s Premier League struggles end.
Neither Steve Cooper nor Thomas Frank expressed satisfaction with the officials following this draw. Nottingham Forest’s manager, Steve Cooper, believed his team should not have seen a player sent off, while Thomas Frank, manager of Brentford, was disappointed that his team did not receive a penalty. This added to the growing pressure on referees following issues from Saturday’s games.
The drama on an otherwise uneventful evening was ignited by Moussa Niakhaté’s second yellow card, a result of raking his cleats down Yoane Wissa’s calf. This incident was followed swiftly by goals from Christian Nørgaard and Nico Domínguez, both scored with their heads, ensuring the match ended in a draw.
Wissa was involved in another contentious play when he was brought down in the box after dispossessing goalkeeper Matt Turner. However, neither the on-field officials nor the video referees awarded a penalty. Additionally, two potential handball violations by Forest in the first half were overlooked. Thomas Frank, Brentford’s manager, stated, “I am tired of discussing VAR.”
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“I believe some managers will argue that the two handballs should have been penalties, but if they were given against my team, I would be annoyed. The incident with Wissa is a clear penalty; you cannot go behind the defence. This is a VAR error, plain and simple. Perhaps our players need to be more assertive with the officials.”
Prior to Wissa and Turner’s confrontation, those in attendance might have thought they were witnessing a meaningless end-of-season match.
Neither goalkeeper had to make a save until first-half stoppage time, following a lackluster start and continuous rain.
Niakhaté’s first bookable challenge on Mathias Jensen was rash, taking him out on the left flank, and Wissa’s leg bore the brunt of the second challenge. The defender’s sending-off was followed by Nørgaard flicking home Jensen’s precisely weighted cross from the resulting free-kick, with the ball slipping through Turner’s hands.
Steve Cooper stated, “If he hadn’t issued a second yellow, no one would be talking about it.” “Since it was the only Premier League game of the day, PGMOL needed a flawless day, but they got the opposite. We want to support referees, and we will complain like anyone else, but we will do it respectfully. They need to help themselves. I am frustrated by the first yellow card; he should not have lunged in, it was the right decision. The second yellow card would not have been a talking point if he had just awarded a free kick. You need football knowledge to recognize that it was an error. This is a contact sport.”
Forest may have needed time to calm down after losing a player and falling down by a goal.
Substitutions were made swiftly, including the introduction of Harry Toffolo for his first Premier League minutes of the season, to reorganize a defense reduced by one player. Instead of appearing rusty, Toffolo delivered a pinpoint cross for Domínguez to loop over Mark Flekken. Frank described it as a “freak goal,” but some may question the goalkeeper’s positioning.
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Despite being a man down for 46 minutes due to extended stoppage time in the second half, Forest finished the game with two strikers on the field, believing they could snatch a victory. Neither Chris Wood nor Divock Origi could be the hero; instead, they had the 21-year-old debutant Murillo to thank. He blocked Michael Olakigbe’s added-time shot, which had beaten the goalkeeper but not the Brazilian, who excelled in his first outing for the club.
Forest dominated the first quarter, with Ibrahim Sangaré showing why Steve Cooper wanted him for two seasons. His composure, skill, and physical presence repelled his opponents when necessary. Alongside Domínguez and Orel Mangala, Sangaré’s efforts were instrumental in controlling the midfield.
Taiwo Awoniyi’s goal was disallowed for offside, but Niakhaté’s yellow card was the only major first-half event. Thankfully, the second half provided spectators with more action.
Forest will be pleased that their new signings are adapting faster than last season, while Brentford can at least point to an end to their five-game Premier League losing streak.
