Tottenham VAR decision slammed as Nottingham Forest star hits out at 'disappointing' decision

Tottenham picked up their first point of the season against Nottingham Forest, though the scoreline could have been different had Neco Williams' goal stood

Nottingham Forest full‑back Neco Williams insisted his goal should have stood against Tottenham Hotspur, arguing it was 'not clear and obvious' that he handled the ball. The defender was deemed to have used his hand as he forced the loose ball over the line, as the sides played out a goalless draw.

The hosts thought they had taken the lead at the City Ground when Spurs failed to clear Morgan Gibbs‑White's goal‑bound effort, parried by Antonin Kinsky, with Williams appearing to head home the rebound. However, replays showed the Wales international had inadvertently handled the ball.

Speaking on Sky Sports as the incident was being reviewed, former Premier League referee Mike Dean said: "It looks like it has hit his hand."

Announcing the decision, referee Craig Pawson said: "After review, the ball touches the hand of Nottingham Forest No.3 before the goal is scored. The final decision is a direct free-kick for Spurs."

The Premier League Match Centre also clarified the decision, writing on social media platform X: " #NFOTOT – 67’ VAR OVERTURN VAR checked the referee’s call of goal – and determined that Williams handled the ball immediately before scoring and recommended that the goal was disallowed."

Williams himself, does not agree with the call, telling Sky Sports: "It's a goal. VAR is there when there is a clear and obvious error and for me that is not clear and obvious," he explained. "I've seen the images and the replays and at not one moment did I think I hand-balled it.

"I headed it in between my arms. If you're going to pause it, it's going to look like it hit my arm but it didn't hit my arm. VAR is there to intervene with clear and obvious errors and that wasn't clear and obvious. I have seen all the images and at not one moment can you tell that has clearly hit my arms because it never. I knew straight away I've headed it down in between my arms. At a loss at that one.

Williams continued: "Disappointing. A lot of decisions didn't go our way today but this is football. It's going to be like that. Could have been a penalty. I think there were a few times where we could have an should have had a penalty but this is where the consistency is not there at the minute but the big one for me is the disallowed goal. It's a goal for me, it didn't hit my arm so that's all I can say on that."

Forest head coach Oliver Glasner also vented his frustration. "It feels we lost two points today because I watched a few situations back and I think the goal must stand. It's not clear and obvious," he stated.

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"We have a briefing before the season that the VAR threshold should be high again when VAR intervenes and I think it was not clear and obvious. For me it is a clear penalty when Neco Williams gets fouled because [Mohammed] Kudus doesn't even jump into the ball and when this situation happens anywhere on the pitch it is always a foul. In these two situations we were not very lucky.

"Huge fight from both teams and like last year every game is decided by small margins. I think we had them today on our side but if there is a disallowed goal in such a tight game we have to take the point."

On the decision being clear and obvious: "It's not clear and obvious," Glasner argued. "If the referee gives handball during the game, I think the VAR shouldn't intervene, You needed four different angles and then you guessed that he probably touched the ball with his arm.

"The VAR should say to stay with the onfield decision because it is about strengthening the referee. Stick to the onfield decision. We had a big chance before half-time with Morgan [Gibbs-White] but we didn't take it so on the other side if we take our clear chances we had, I think we should have won the game."

Spurs picked up their first point of the season after back‑to‑back defeats to Brentford and Newcastle United. Roberto De Zerbi's side are next in action on Saturday, hosting Everton at 5:30pm.