Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espírito Santo has unleashed a furious tirade against match officials, branding a key decision in his side's dramatic 1-0 loss to Liverpool as 'a mistake that is hard to take'.
The explosive post-match comments came after a deeply contentious finale at the City Ground. The flashpoint occurred in the final moments of the game when play was stopped for a head injury to Liverpool's Ibrahima Konaté. Crucially, referee Paul Tierney restarted the match by awarding a drop ball to Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, despite the fact that Nottingham Forest were in possession of the ball moments before the stoppage.
From that restart, Liverpool surged forward and Darwin Núñez scored a devastating 99th-minute winner, snatching all three points and leaving the Forest bench in a state of disbelief and fury.
'We Feel Robbed' - Forest's Fury Explained
Nuno did not hold back in his assessment. 'The law says that the team that has the possession of the ball when the game stops, which was Nottingham Forest, should keep the possession,' he stated, his frustration palpable. 'What happened was the opposite. The referee gives the ball to Liverpool's keeper and they score. It is a big mistake. We are very disappointed.'
This sense of injustice was compounded by the fact that the club had recently appointed former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg as a match and performance analyst. Nuno confirmed that Clattenburg had attempted to speak with the officials after the final whistle but was denied access, a move that only added fuel to the fire.
A Recurring Theme of Frustration
This incident is not an isolated one for Nottingham Forest this season. The club and its owner, Evangelos Marinakis, have grown increasingly vocal about what they perceive as a pattern of poor decisions going against them. This latest controversy is sure to reignite the debate over the use of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and the consistency of officiating in the Premier League.
The devastating last-gasp defeat leaves Forest perilously close to the relegation zone, making the perceived injustice of the decision cut even deeper for players, staff, and fans alike.
