Nottingham Forest vs Brentford. Premier League.
The City GroundAttendance29,004.
Match report and highlights as 10-player Nottingham Forest fight back to draw with Brentford; Nicolas Dominguez and Christian Norgaard scored the goals; hosts had Moussa Niakhate sent off while Brentford had three penalty appeals rejected by VAR
Sunday 1 October 2023 17:21, UK
Nicolas Dominguez's goal on his home debut secured a 1-1 draw for 10-player Nottingham Forest against Brentford at the City Ground in another game which featured VAR flashpoints.
Dominguez guided a looping header over Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken in the second half only seven minutes after Christian Norgaard had nodded the visitors in front.
Norgaard's goal, headed in from Mathias Jensen's free-kick, came directly after Moussa Niakhate had been shown a second yellow card for a studs-up foul on Yoane Wissa following a VAR check.
Just 24 hours after Tottenham's acrimonious win over Liverpool, the VAR officials once again found themselves in the spotlight, rejecting two Brentford penalty appeals in first-half stoppage time, including an apparent handball by Dominguez, who appeared to make contact with the ball when raising his arm during an aerial challenge.
Brentford then saw a third penalty shout turned down when Wissa went to ground having been caught by Matt Turner when making a challenge on the Forest goalkeeper inside the box. "That was a clear penalty," said Brentford boss Thomas Frank afterwards.
The hosts survived those scares and then held out for 13 minutes of stoppage time, with debutant Murillo clearing a Brentford shot off the line to help clinch a battling draw which moves Steve Cooper's side up a place to 11th and extends the 13th-placed Bees' winless run to seven games in all competitions.
Before all the drama of the second half, there was a tepid first period, but the VAR officials were busy throughout. In the eighth minute, they correctly ruled Taiwo Awoniyi offside after he had turned in Murillo's header from close-range.
Their second big call, in first-half stoppage time, was more dubious. After Vitaly Janelt had forced a smart save from Turner, Dominguez was seen raising an arm to the ball during an aerial challenge with the Brentford midfielder in the Forest box.
Dominguez appeared to handle the ball in the process, but VAR insisted his arm was too close for them to award a penalty. The loose ball then struck Boly on the hand, with the officials again deciding to play on, deeming him to have also been too close.
VAR was back at the heart of things soon after the break when the officials decided not to penalise Forest goalkeeper Turner after he appeared to bring down Wissa after the striker had tackled him inside the box.
Niakhate's red card came soon after that. The defender, who had been booked in the first half, planted his studs on the back of Wissa's leg, with referee Paul Tierney showing a second yellow card following a VAR check.
Forest's red card was compounded when Norgaard nodded home Jensen's free-kick, but the goal sparked a response from the hosts, with substitutes Morgan Gibbs-White and Harry Toffolo combining and Dominguez then heading expertly over Flekken.
Brentford had the better of the closing stages and created a succession of chances but could not make their player advantage count as Forest defended resolutely.
Gibbs-White made a sensational last-ditch tackle on Bryan Mbeumo, Murillo hacked substitute Michael Olakigbe's low shot off the line, and Boly then managed to get enough of a block on a Neal Maupay shot to send it narrowly over the bar.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank did not feel too aggrieved by the handball penalty calls in the first half going against them but felt Turner's follow-through on Wissa should have seen his side awarded a spot-kick.
"I think some managers would say yes, definitely clear two penalties," he said of the first two penalty appeals. "I would probably say, I can see them being given. I can see them not being given.
"But I think there's one that's more clear," he added of the Wissa appeal. "Is that the next question?! That's a clear one. I think, unfortunately, that's a mistake from VAR.
"Unfortunately our players are too honest. Maybe we need to be a little bit more wise than that. But I won't say that to my players, I like honest players."
He added: "I know VAR is the talk of the town at the moment but I'm just so sick of talking about it."
Sky Sports pundit Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink agreed with the Bees boss on the Wissa incident. "Turner misjudges it and kicks Wissa," he said. "If he doesn't kick him he can go and score.
"How that is not a penalty? I'm bemused. This is a penalty. A hundred, million per cent. No discussion."
Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper felt the decision to send off Niakhate was incorrect.
He said: "We all want referees to be at the level. They are obviously going through a difficult time. They really needed a clear and concise performance today but, unfortunately, they've raised more questions.
"I didn't feel it was a second yellow. The first one [yellow] I'm annoyed at him about as he didn't need to lunge in.
"The second one you need a bit of common sense and game know-how to make the right decision. I have no doubt that, if he didn't give a yellow, you wouldn't have mentioned it to me."
On Brentford's penalty appeals, he added: "If one or two things have gone our way, then it's about time. I haven't seen them. I haven't got a clue what handball is. Even if I had seen them.
"I'm not an experienced Premier League manager but I have a view, but someone needed to come out to say what handball is after the Spurs game [vs Arsenal].
"I looked at the Spurs game and thought we should've had a couple here against Burnley. I honestly don't know what is handball and what isn't.
"They needed to come out last Monday and say what is and what isn't handball. Then we can hold our hands up and get on with it.
"It just needs to settle down - we all want referees to do well. My dad was a referee, I get it. We want them to be calm and making good decisions so they can be progressing with their careers.
"They are going through a difficult spell and we need to help them. It is frustrating when things go against you although things have gone for us too. But they must help themselves too."
Nottingham Forest travel to Crystal Palace on Saturday October 7, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 5.30pm.
Meanwhile, Brentford face a trip to Old Trafford to face Man Utd, also on Saturday October 7; kick-off 3pm.
