Nottingham Forest faced frustration as a potential winning goal against Tottenham was disallowed following a VAR review for a handball by Neco Williams. The match, held at the City Ground, ended in a 0-0 draw, leaving both teams still seeking their first win in the Premier League this season.

The pivotal moment occurred midway through the second half when Morgan Gibbs-White was through on goal. His attempted chip over the Spurs goalkeeper was mishandled by Sandro Tonali, allowing Williams to attempt a follow-up. As he headed the ball towards the goal, he instinctively covered his face with his hands, leading to the controversial decision.

VAR official Peter Bankes intervened, leading to the disqualification of the goal. Bankes confirmed that Williams had handled the ball before scoring, prompting a free-kick for Tottenham instead of a goal for Forest. Referee Craig Pawson explained the decision, stating that the ball touched Williams' hand prior to the goal.

Williams expressed his disagreement, asserting, "It's a goal. VAR is there for when there's a clear and obvious error, and for me, that's not clear and obvious." He insisted that the ball did not hit his hand, emphasizing his position that decisions did not favor Forest that day.

Oliver Glasner, Nottingham Forest's manager, criticized the VAR process, claiming it was based on guesswork rather than clear evidence. He referred to the pre-season directive for a higher threshold for VAR interventions, contending that the decision to disallow the goal was not justified given the angles reviewed.