Sheffield United boss hints Nottingham Forest's recent VAR controversy played part in crucial decision

Chris Wilder hinted that the match officials took the “easy decision” of not ruling out Nottingham Forest’s key second goal in their 3-1 victory at Sheffield United this afternoon, after Forest’s recent VAR controversy. Forest made their complaints public recently after VAR’s perceived failure to give them at least one penalty in their crunch clash with Everton.

Forest issued a strongly-worded official statement after three contentious decisions in that game, and were this week charged by the FA, with the Premier League also investigating. Refereeing consultant Mark Clattenburg also resigned from his role this week.

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Wilder felt that Forest’s second goal, scored by Ryan Yates, should have been disallowed for a push by Murillo on Ben Brereton Diaz as Morgan Gibbs-White’s free-kick was floated into the box. Referee Chris Kavanagh did not award a foul and VAR Michael Salisbury did not intervene, as United went on to lose 3-1 on another miserable afternoon at Bramall Lane.

"It's a foul isn't it? He puts two hands in the back,” Wilder said. “Ben Brereton Diaz doesn't just fall down. He [Murillo] 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."

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Asked whether he thought the match officials did not want to give a decision against Forest, he replied: "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."