Match of the Day pundits in total agreement about Nottingham Forest decision vs Fulham

Nottingham Forest can count themselves unlucky once again as the match officials stole the show during yesterday’s defeat to Fulham.

Marco Silva saw his team thrashed 3-1 at the City Ground last season and he was in no mood to make the same mistake here.

His team weren’t great in truth and were handed a 1-0 win when Raul Jimenez converted a spot-kick after a VAR check deemed Murillo fouled Andreas Pereira.

Forest weren’t given a penalty kick of their own in the second half when Anthony Elanga was quite clearly fouled by Calvin Bassey.

Still, Forest have made a pretty decent start to the 2024/24 campaign in the Premier League and have nine points from the first six games of the season.

Photo by Jon Hobley | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Micah Richards, Theo Walcott and Gary Lineker discuss Taiwo Awoniyi penalty appeal

An incident in the first half saw Joachim Anderson attempt to kick the ball but seemingly catch Awoniyi instead.

The referee nor the VAR were overly interested and play continued to make the score goalless at the interval.

On Match of the day, the three pundits all discussed the incident and Forest fans perhaps won’t be surprised to hear that they believe the officials got things spot on.

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The conversation went as follows:

Richards: “That’s not a penalty.”

Lineker: “You know what, though, in Europe, they give that forever.”

Richards: “It’s not enough to give that.”

Lineker: “I agree that it shouldn’t be, but the state of things nowadays.”

Richards: “Andersen there on Awoniyi, I don’t think that’s a penalty.”

Theo Walcott: “I would be disappointed if they were giving these penalties in the Premier League. That’s for sure.”

Forest have to get better for Chelsea test next week

Cole Palmer scored four times for the Blues in 45 minutes yesterday and Forest have to be ready for threat he will cause.

The Reds can’t be as passive and lacklustre in possession of the football as they were against Fulham when they visit West London next weekend.

Forest also can’t become that team that constantly bemoans match officials – although they didn’t help things yesterday.

Nuno Espirito Santo was very diplomatic in his post-match press conference regarding the men in black and he was right to do so.

The challenge on Awoniyi probably wasn’t a penalty but Forest were definitely aggrieved not to get a penalty for a challenge in the second half on Elanga.

Forest have to wise up quickly and avoid a bad run after a maiden defeat of the 2024/25 campaign.

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