PGMOL has acknowledged a significant officiating error during Nottingham Forest’s 3-2 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford, after confirming that VAR should have intervened to disallow a goal scored by Matheus Cunha.
PGMOL chief Howard Webb reportedly contacted Nottingham Forest directly to admit that the decision to allow the goal to stand was incorrect. The controversy stems from a handball by Bryan Mbeumo in the buildup, which officials failed to penalise despite VAR review.
The incident proved decisive in a tightly contested match and has triggered renewed scrutiny of VAR consistency in the Premier League.
Forest head coach Nuno Espírito Santo expressed strong frustration after the final whistle, arguing that the decision had a direct impact on the outcome of the game.
He described the handball as clear and said the failure to overturn the goal was extremely costly, adding that it ultimately changed the direction of the match.
The decision has also drawn strong criticism from pundits. Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville labelled the call “a shocker”, while former striker Alan Shearer described it as “disgraceful”, reflecting widespread disagreement over the VAR outcome.
The admission from PGMOL effectively confirms that Forest were denied a key decision during a crucial stage of the match, further intensifying debate over handball interpretations and VAR intervention standards.
Beyond the sporting impact, the result also carries financial implications for Nottingham Forest, with Premier League final standings influencing merit-based payments that can amount to significant sums.
Forest, who have faced several contentious decisions since returning to the Premier League in 2022, will now look to move past the controversy as they prepare for their final fixture of the season against Bournemouth.
