Nottingham Forest launch formal complaint over Manchester City defeat | OneFootball

The Premier League’s officiating body has received an official complaint from Nottingham Forest off the back of their defeat to Manchester City, it has been reported.

The fallout from the contest at the City Ground has continued, with Forest staff left aggrieved by a number of calls made during a tightly contested fixture, as a dramatic encounter on the pitch shifted into a broader discussion around officiating standards and the use of VAR.

City eventually emerged with all three points courtesy of a late winner from Rayan Cherki, in a result that extended Pep Guardiola’s side’s strong recent run of form and kept them firmly in touch with the Premier League leaders Arsenal.

For Forest, however, it proved a bitterly disappointing outcome on an emotionally charged evening that included tributes to club legend John Robertson. The hosts had frustrated Manchester City for long periods, responding well after falling behind early in the second half and threatening to take a point from the reigning champions.

Instead, Rayan Cherki’s decisive strike late on ensured Manchester City left Nottingham with another crucial victory, condemning the hosts to a second successive league defeat.

But now, according to Sky Sports News, Nottingham Forest have formally complained to the PGMOL and asked for more information following the officiating decisions in their well-contested defeat to Pep Guardiola’s side.

It is claimed that the City Ground side have asked for the audio between the on-field officials and VAR team during key moments in the match to better understand the decisions.

Forest’s frustrations centre on several incidents including Ruben Dias avoiding a second yellow card in the second half, Josko Gvardiol not being booked for kicking the ball away before the interval, and Morgan Gibbs-White being deemed not to have been fouled by Nico O’Reilly during the corner that preceded Cherki’s match-winning goal.

Speaking after the match, Forest manager Sean Dyche did not hide his anger at the officiating, insisting the officials had played “a huge part in the game” and branding their performance “unacceptable”, arguing that the decisions materially affected the outcome.

Looking ahead, Forest will now await a response from the PGMOL, who may choose to provide clarification or supporting material as part of their review. While any explanation will not change the result, it could influence future discussions around transparency.

For Manchester City, attention will quickly return to their upcoming fixtures as they continue to chase domestic success, as they travel to the North-East to take on Sunderland on New Years’ Day.