Nottingham Forest have requested that the VAR audio from their game against Manchester City be released, as they are considering launching a formal complaint following the defeat.
Forest hosted Man City at home this past weekend and went on to lose 2-1.
However, Sean Dyche’s side are said to be ‘extremely unhappy’ with some of the refereeing decisions made by first official, Rob Jones, on the day.
As a result, they are now asking the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) to share some of the conversations between on-pitch officials and the VAR team at Stockley Park in West London.
"I'm scratching my head and I can't believe it!" 😳
Sean Dyche wasn't happy with the officiating in their loss to Man City 😬
As you can see, Dyche initially said that “there’s no point” in pushing the refs on their performance, as he feels they usually only “get in trouble”, but it looks as though his employers have advocated for him.
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Nottingham Forest had a problem with the final call in a number of instances during the festive fixture on Saturday, 27 December, but none more so than in one key moment.
The manager and his coaching team felt that Rayan Cherki’s 83rd-minute winner should have been cancelled out following a foul by Nico O’Reilly on Morgan Gibbs-White in the preceding corner, which may have prevented Cherki from scoring another decisive finish.
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Dyche also argued that another City defender, Ruben Dias, was due a second yellow card and therefore dismissal from the pitch for a challenge after the break, but there was ultimately nothing doing.
You can see the collision here:
"I do have sympathy for Sean Dyche… it is a second yellow card!"
Ref Watch discuss whether Ruben Dias should have been sent off against Nottingham Forest. pic.twitter.com/dxTYmGsEqZ
According to Sky Sports News, Nottingham have already requested more information from the refereeing body, with this not being the first time they’ve felt hard done by.
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As they put it, the hope/belief is that raising the issue could help “start a broader discussion around officiating this season.”
What do you make of Forest’s concerns against Manchester City, and do you think they’re worthy of launching an official complaint against the PGMOL and Premier League?
You can see the highlights from the game and perhaps decide for yourself down below.
Featured Images — TNT Sports (screenshot via YouTube)/The Manc Group
Sport
Details released of Andy Burnham’s meetings with Manchester City owners while Mayor
Emily Sergeant
Details of Andy Burnham’s meetings with Manchester City owners during his tenure as Mayor of Greater Manchester have been released.
In case you need bringing up to speed on the situation a little first, Manchester City was found guilty back in September all of its charges related to the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period, and on top of that, was also found guilty of the majority of charges in relation to its failure to co-operate with the League’s investigation.
According to the Premier League, the independent Commission found that Manchester City had arranged so-called ‘sham’ commercial deals with a number of its sponsors.
These were part of a disguised funding scheme – with those sponsors only required to pay a portion of the relevant sponsorship fees.
The remainder was then funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG), which owned the club.
The Commission also concluded, as quoted by the Premier League, that the club had ‘made concerted efforts to stop and frustrate the Premier League investigation’.
Within the past week or so, it has since come to light that now-Prime Minister Andy Burnham had dealings with Manchester City during his tenure as Greater Manchester Mayor, and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has now issued a public statement, giving details on the matter and what these ‘dealings’ entailed.
A spokesperson for GMCA confirmed that Burnham had a ‘formal meeting’ with Man City Chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, back in October 2021.
The statement reads in full: “In October 2021, Andy Burnham, in his role as Mayor of Greater Manchester, had a formal meeting with Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the UK Government’s Global Investment Summit arranged by the Department for International Trade.
“In his capacity as Mayor, he was a guest of Manchester City FC at home matches on a small number of occasions, including attending Vincent Kompany’s testimonial match in September 2019, where he met the Chairman informally in the stands. These have been declared in the usual way.
“Also during his time as Mayor, representatives of Greater Manchester sporting clubs would routinely join business delegations as part of Mayoral international visits.
“This included representatives from Manchester United travelling to Austin and Dublin, Lancashire Cricket Club joining a delegation to India, and Manchester City FC staff supporting visits to China and Japan.”
Featured Image – Lauren Hurley / Number 10 Downing Street (Press Image via Flickr)
Sport
Multiple arrests made for ‘tragedy chanting’ and police officer assault as Man City defeated Liverpool
Emily Sergeant
Multiple people were arrested over the weekend as Manchester City defeated Liverpool in a Premier League clash.
Merseyside Police have confirmed that a total of 10 people were arrested during the policing operation at Liverpool’s home ground of Anfield as they hosted Manchester City on Sunday 11 October.
One man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police constable, five were on suspicion of tragedy chanting, one on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly, two for affray, and one on suspicion of throwing items onto the pitch.
Police are now appealing to the public, and are particularly looking to speak to witnesses of the assault of the officer.
At around 6:35pm, as fans left the stadium, a police officer sustained a ‘serious facial injury’ during the arrest of a man on Anfield Road, and was subsequently taken to hospital for treatment but is now recovering at home.
Investigating officers are now conducting enquiries, speaking to witnesses, and analysing CCTV and camera phone footage.
Chief Inspector Leanne Hobin said it’s ‘extremely disappointing’ that an officer has sustained a serious injury while carrying out their duty.
“I hope the arrests send a clear message and act as a deterrent to others,” Chief Inspector Hobin continued. “Anyone who engages in this abhorrent behaviour risks ending up in custody and getting a criminal record.
“Despite the actions of a few, the overwhelming majority of the 60,000 fans in attendance behaved well and I want to thank them for their co-operation.”
Manchester City ended up defeated Liverpool 3-0 during the Premier League clash at Anfield.
Danny Jones -
30th December 2025 
