With two goals from Callum Hudson-Odoi, Nottingham Forest overcame a 1-0 deficit to win 3-1 against Sheffield United on Saturday, pushing themselves three points away from the Premier League relegation zone.
Sheffield United’s manager Chris Wilder suggested that Nottingham Forest’s recent criticism of VAR influenced the officials not to call a crucial foul during Forest’s 3-1 win. Wilder believes that in the lead-up to Ryan Yates’ second goal, Ben Brereton Diaz was pushed, but the officials opted not to intervene. This decision played a role in Nottingham Forest’s key win at Bramall Lane, where Callum Hudson-Odoi scored twice, helping the Reds move three points ahead of 18th-place Luton with two games remaining in the season.
Referee Chris Kavanagh decided against calling a foul, and VAR official Michael Salisbury didn’t step in to overturn the decision, leaving Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo feeling “anxious” after Ryan Yates scored. Despite the controversy, Forest secured a 3-1 win, a result that helped them move three points clear of the relegation zone.
Wilder suggested that situation had influenced the decision. “It’s a foul isn’t it? He puts two hands in the back, Ben Brereton Diaz doesn’t just fall down,” he said. “He pushes him.
“I will let you put two and two together. I think it is a pretty easy, comfortable decision for everybody to make because of the situation.”
Asked whether he thought the match officials did not want to give a decision against Forest, he said: “I will let you decide on that situation. I’m not going to get dragged into that debate, a foul is a foul, whether it is a push in any part of the pitch.
“For me it is a foul, people tell me the game has moved on, you could day Ben needs to be stronger, but there is no need for him to go down like that, you can see he has two hands in his back. They score from that opportunity, we go 2-1 down.”
