[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"news-detail-110":3},{"success":4,"data":5,"error":10},true,[6],{"id":7,"title":8,"content":9,"titleTh":10,"contentTh":10,"readingMinutes":11,"coverImage":12,"source":13,"sourceUrl":14,"authorName":10,"isPublished":4,"publishedAt":15,"comments":16,"createdAt":17,"updatedAt":18},110,"Glasner and Williams dispute VAR call over Forest handball","\u003Cfigure>\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fichef.bbci.co.uk\u002Face\u002Fstandard\u002F819\u002Fcpsprodpb\u002Ff944\u002Flive\u002F118243a0-a955-11f1-adf0-6d46cbf5ba37.jpg\" alt=\"Nottingham Forest defender Neco Williams bundles the ball into the Tottenham net\" width=\"819\" height=\"461\">\u003Cfigcaption>Image caption, Williams was adjudged to have handled the ball before it went in\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003Cp>Nottingham Forest manager Oliver Glasner claimed the video assistant referee (VAR) was "guessing" and should not have intervened in ruling out Neco Williams' goal in their 0-0 draw with Tottenham.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Williams' second-half effort was chalked off with the full-back adjudged to have bundled the ball in with his arm after some calamitous Tottenham defending at the City Ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Forest defender denied it came off his arm and insisted it should have stood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Initially, referee Craig Pawson awarded the goal but VAR Peter Bankes intervened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>"I watched five or six different angles and, to be fair, from one angle you can guess that the ball touched the arm because the shirt moves a little bit, but it's not clear is it the ball or [Sandro] Tonali on the goalline," said Glasner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>"I think the VAR can't intervene when he is guessing. It was not clear and obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>"We had a briefing before the season that the threshold for VAR intervention this year should be very high, which is why this is a wrong intervention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>"If it's not 100% clear, stick to the on-field decisions. This is the inconsistency today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>"I told the referee after the game that I felt the goal should have stood."\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Premier League's official match centre posted on their X page, external the explanation as to why it was ruled out following the incident in the 67th minute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It stated: "VAR checked the referee's call of goal to Nottingham Forest - and determined that Williams handled the ball immediately before scoring and recommended that the goal was disallowed."\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rule states that if the ball has hit the arm of the goalscorer immediately before they score then it must be ruled out, even if accidental.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Williams denied that it struck his arm amid the chaos in the Spurs box.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>"It's a goal," the Forest full-back told Sky Sports.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>"VAR is there when there is a clear and obvious error and for me that is not clear and obvious. I've seen the images and the replays and at not one moment did I think I handballed it. I headed it in between my arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>"I knew straight away I've headed it down in between my arms. At a loss at that one. Disappointing."\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Not Football Manager' - De Zerbi says misfiring Spurs need time\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Analysis: This is not about a clear and obvious error\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>The biggest issue with judging handball is often determining if the ball did actually hit the arm, and that is the crux of Forest's argument.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Williams is adamant the ball came off his head and did not touch his hand, evidence which of course would not be available to the VAR.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even having a chip in the ball, like at the World Cup, would not help here as the head and hands were so close together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is not about a clear and obvious error, as that covers subjective incidents like potential penalties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is a factual overturn so the VAR, Bankes, is looking for definitive proof. This is similar but without taking into account what the referee, Pawson, says he has seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Definitive proof can be seen as a higher bar than clear and obvious, because it is a factual decision - that the ball definitely touched the goalscorer's arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glasner, Williams and most of the Forest fanbase refuse to accept that evidence does exist, and that there were no grounds to disallow the goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These decisions come down to one factor - the judgement of who is in the VAR room on a given match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is unavoidable that another VAR on a different day might feel the threshold of proof had not been crossed, and allow the goal to stand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this will always be one of the major frustrations with VAR.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry Maguire's goal against Ipswich last weekend was allowed despite a handball because his shot was going wide before it was deflected, meaning it was an own goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Williams' case, he actually was the goalscorer so any touch on the arm means the goal must be ruled out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing that would have saved the goal was if the ball had fully crossed the line before it was kicked against Williams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Follow Nottingham Forest on BBC Sounds\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pre-match, post-match and topical Forest content\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Subscribe and listen for everything you love about Forest\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Latest Nottingham Forest news, analysis and fan views\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cfigure>\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fichef.bbci.co.uk\u002Face\u002Fstandard\u002F1024\u002Fcpsprodpb\u002F3308\u002Flive\u002F39ba5670-fd9d-11ee-8369-47dc4454b972.jpg\" alt=\"City Ground\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\">\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003Cp>Ask about Nottingham Forest - what do you want to know?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cfigure>\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fichef.bbci.co.uk\u002Face\u002Fstandard\u002F3840\u002Fcpsprodpb\u002Fd540\u002Flive\u002Fd53220a0-7aca-11f0-ab3e-bd52082cd0ae.png\" alt=\"Ask Me Anything logo\" width=\"3840\">\u003C\u002Ffigure>",null,4,"https:\u002F\u002Fichef.bbci.co.uk\u002Face\u002Fbranded_sport\u002F1200\u002Fcpsprodpb\u002Ff944\u002Flive\u002F118243a0-a955-11f1-adf0-6d46cbf5ba37.jpg","bbc","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fsport\u002Ffootball\u002Farticles\u002Fc3v4537e60yo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss","2026-09-05T18:36:28Z",[],"2026-09-05T18:46:02.074952Z","2026-09-05T18:46:18.966957Z"]