Howard Webb States VAR Should Have Stepped in for Potential Penalty Call in Forest vs. Everton Match

Howard Webb, chief of the referees body PGMOL, expressed that Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Stuart Attwell should have intervened in Nottingham Forest‘s contentious 2-0 Premier League loss to Everton, believing a penalty review should have been recommended, particularly regarding a challenge involving Ashley Young and Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Webb emphasized that VAR should have prompted a review, which likely would have resulted in a penalty being awarded to Forest. The Midlands team felt aggrieved after being denied three penalty claims against Young during the match at Goodison Park on April 21.

Real-time Football scores and highlights.

In response to the controversial decisions, Forest issued a vehement statement on social media platform X, accusing Attwell of bias towards Luton Town, Forest’s relegation rivals. The league and the Football Association (FA) subsequently launched an investigation into Forest’s statement.

Webb noted that while the first two penalty shouts by Forest were subjective calls, the incident involving Hudson-Odoi’s challenge by Young warranted a penalty kick for the visitors.

Reflecting on the match, Webb explained that VAR deemed the non-award of the penalty not to be “clearly and obviously wrong.” However, he expressed a preference for VAR intervention, suggesting that referee review via the pitchside monitor might have yielded a different outcome.

Forest, seeking transparency, formally requested the PGMOL to release the audio recordings between officials during the match a day after the game.

Currently battling relegation, Forest sits 17th in the standings with 26 points, while Luton, their direct rivals, are one place and one point below with three matches remaining.