Dyche Left Furious as Late VAR Drama Hands Man City Victory at the City Ground
What should have been a proud and gritty afternoon for Nottingham Forest ended in frustration, disbelief, and anger, as Manchester City snatched a late 2–1 win at the City Ground in a match that left Forest boss Sean Dyche absolutely stunned by what he described as “bizarre” VAR decisions.
Forest had matched City step for step for much of the game, standing firm against one of the most in-form teams in the league. With Forest hovering just above the relegation zone, a point against Pep Guardiola’s side would have felt huge, potentially creating a comfortable gap from the bottom three. That hope, however, was crushed in the 83rd minute when Rayan Cherki fired home a fierce half-volley from the edge of the box to put City back in front.
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The goal immediately sparked outrage from the Forest players. Morgan Gibbs-White was seen going to ground in the build-up after contact from Nico O’Reilly, and Forest felt that push prevented him from blocking the shot. Dyche was adamant that a foul had been committed and could not understand how VAR allowed the goal to stand. From his perspective, the decision was an easy one that had been missed, and he felt the officials had directly influenced the outcome of the game. Despite a VAR check, referee Rob Jones’ original call was upheld, leaving Forest furious.
Dyche’s frustration didn’t stop there. He was equally unhappy with the decision not to send off Ruben Dias. The City defender had already been booked in the first half for dissent and then brought down Igor Jesus early in the second half as Forest were breaking forward. A second yellow card was expected by the Forest bench and players, but only a free-kick was given. Dyche described the incident as another obvious call that somehow went ignored, saying he was “absolutely stunned” by the decision.
Former officials and pundits were divided. Some felt the VAR decision was not a “clear and obvious” error, while others believed Forest had every right to feel hard done by. That split in opinion only added to the sense of controversy surrounding the match.
From City’s point of view, it was another sign of their growing resilience. Guardiola later admitted his side would probably have lost this kind of game last season. They were frustrated, physically tested, and far from their fluent best, yet still found a way to win. The late goal kept City firmly in the title race, just two points behind Arsenal, and extended their impressive run of form.
For Forest, though, the result felt cruel. A strong performance was overshadowed by refereeing debates, and instead of talking about effort and resilience, the conversation was dominated by VAR. It was a night where belief was built on the pitch, but trust in the system was badly shaken.
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