Dyche Calls for VAR Review on Corner Decisions After Controversial Match

Controversial Corner Decision Frustrates Nottingham Forest’s Manager

Nottingham Forest’s head coach, Sean Dyche, expressed his discontent over a disputed corner awarded to Manchester United during their recent match at the City Ground. He labeled the situation as “farcical.”

Dyche pointed out that Nicolo Savona’s clearance from a corner kick, initially launched by Bryan Mbeumo, seemed to narrowly avoid going out of play. However, assistant referee Akil Howson signaled that the ball had crossed the line, which led to referee Darren England granting a corner. The subsequent play resulted in Casemiro scoring, contributing to the game ending in a 2-2 draw.

As per existing regulations, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system does not have the authority to review a decision concerning the awarding of a corner kick versus a goal kick, even if the corner leads directly to a goal.

“An oversight on this level can’t go unchallenged,” remarked Dyche, whose squad suffered a similarly questionable corner decision during their 2-0 loss to Bournemouth the previous week.

Dyche’s Perspective on Recent Refereeing Errors

Dyche voiced his frustration further, stating that experiencing two such contentious decisions in a short span is unacceptable.

While acknowledging that his team should handle such scenarios better, he stressed that the core issue lies in the correctness of the referee’s evaluations. He illustrated that the assistant referee’s decision, made from a distance of approximately 75 yards and out of the ideal sightline, raises serious concerns.

“I can see the ball hanging in the air. It doesn’t matter if only a portion is still on the pitch; the fact is, it wasn’t out of play. This is quite disheartening,” he lamented.

Support from Match Analyses

Alan Shearer, a prominent pundit on Match of the Day, sided with Dyche, declaring that the officials had erred in this instance.

“Sean Dyche’s argument is valid,” Shearer commented. “It’s baffling how the assistant could be so certain about the ball being out while positioned so far from the action.”

He also conveyed his empathy for Dyche’s feelings of frustration and disappointment, adding, “Although involving VAR would bog down the game further, I do advocate for officials to perform their duties accurately rather than relying on assumptions.”

Match Highlights

Nottingham Forest initially appeared to be on track for their first victory under Dyche after second-half goals from Morgan Gibbs-White and Savona. However, Amad Diallo equalized for Manchester United with a stunning strike just nine minutes before the end of the match.