West Ham United manager David Moyes has revealed that the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has officially apologised for a critical refereeing error that cost his team dearly during their dramatic 3-2 defeat against Nottingham Forest.
Controversial Moment Mars London Stadium Clash
The incident occurred during Saturday's Premier League encounter when West Ham were denied what appeared to be a clear penalty after defender Maxwel Cornet was brought down in the box. Despite vehement protests from the Hammers players and staff, referee Thomas Bramall waved play on, with VAR official Michael Salisbury opting not to intervene.
"We should have had a penalty kick for the challenge on Cornet," Moyes stated emphatically during his post-match press conference. "I've had contact from PGMOL and they've accepted it was a mistake on the day."
Forest Capitalise Amid Controversy
While the officials failed to spot the infringement, Nottingham Forest took full advantage of the let-off, with Taiwo Awoniyi netting what proved to be the winning goal just minutes later. The timing of the controversial decision and subsequent goal has left West Ham feeling particularly aggrieved.
Moyes expressed his frustration at the growing list of decisions going against his team this season: "We're not getting any sort of luck with decisions at the moment. We've had another one today which has gone against us."
Familiar Frustration for Hammers Boss
This isn't the first time Moyes has found himself at odds with match officials this campaign. The Scottish manager highlighted what he perceives as an emerging pattern: "It's not the first time it's happened this season either. We had one last week which was similar."
The admission from PGMOL, while providing some validation for West Ham's complaints, offers little consolation given the lost points. The defeat leaves the London club reflecting on what might have been had the correct decision been made at the crucial moment.
As the Premier League's refereeing standards continue to face intense scrutiny, this latest incident adds further fuel to the ongoing debate about VAR consistency and implementation in England's top flight.
