Neco Williams left the City Ground adamant that his disallowed goal against Tottenham should have stood, pushing back firmly on the VAR decision that cost Nottingham Forest what looked like a deserved opener.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the final whistle, Williams explained that he’d headed the ball between his arms rather than making contact with it, and that any suggestion otherwise was down to how his shirt moved on the replay rather than the ball actually catching his arm. He was clear in his own mind that nothing about the incident met the bar required to overturn a goal — arguing that VAR intervention is meant to be reserved for obvious, undeniable mistakes, and that this fell well short of that standard.
The Wales international didn’t stop at the one incident either, suggesting Forest had been on the wrong end of the officiating more generally over the course of the afternoon. Still, his tone stayed measured rather than bitter — he framed it as simply part of the game at times, choosing to focus instead on the clean sheet and the point his side did come away with.
The disallowed goal has already reignited the broader debate around VAR consistency in the Premier League, with manager Oliver Glasner also expressing frustration at how the decision was reached. But for Williams personally, the message was straightforward: he believes it was a legitimate goal, and he’s not convinced the review process got the call right.
