Nottingham Forest’s clash with West Ham United was marked by a lengthy VAR delay, leaving fans and players in suspense for six minutes before the confirmation of a crucial second goal. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher expressed his frustration with the Premier League’s VAR technology after the incident. The goal, scored by Nikola Milenkovic, was initially put on hold as referee Sam Barrott awaited a decision from VAR official Darren England.
Jamie Carragher said: “The only thing they could be looking at then is does [Nicolas] Dominguez interfere with something maybe a West Ham player as we can see Milenkovic gets that last touch. All this for if Dominguez interferes with somebody. Milenkovic gets the touch, Dominguez has not been involved at all for me there. There’s so many bodies there. For me it’s a goal. You can hear the reaction in the stadium [jeers from the crowd]. And that should be the end of it. But if they can’t see it, the goal’s been given, get on with the game. You can definitely see there’s a right boot there I think it’s from Dominguez. There’s a West Ham boot.”
The decision-making process was further complicated by the absence of semi-automated offside technology, which was not available for this particular incident. Despite the delay, the goal was eventually confirmed, with Milenkovic in an onside position and Domínguez in an offside position but deemed not to be impacting the play. This decision was explained from Stockley Park, the hub of VAR operations.
The match’s outcome holds significant implications for Nuno Espirito Santo’s team, as they are poised to secure European football next season. Currently sitting in seventh place, they are on track to qualify for the Europa Conference League. A sixth-place finish would secure a spot in the Europa League, while the top five teams, along with the winner of the upcoming Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, will enter the prestigious Champions League.
The incident has reignited discussions about the efficiency and reliability of VAR technology in the Premier League, with calls for improvements to ensure smoother and quicker decision-making processes in future matches.
