Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo bemoaned another poor refereeing decision after he felt James Maddison should have been sent off during their 3-1 loss at Tottenham. (More Football News)
Spurs playmaker Maddison was involved in an off-the-ball incident with Ryan Yates in the 44th minute, which ended with the Forest captain in a heap on the floor.
Yates urged referee Simon Hooper to review the incident and replays showed Maddison did catch the Forest midfielder with a 🧸whacღk to the stomach, but VAR decided not to take action when the score was still 1-1.
Nuno sai💖d: “It doesn’t look like he punched him, he punched him. I saw the image and that is why I speak to you."
“I was surprised that VAR didn’t tell Simon to review it🎐 better because honestly with all my respects, Maddison loses his composure and it is a punch in the stomach of Yates."
“It should have been reviewed and a different decision. It is not a shirt with players that looks like nothing hap✃pens, no. No, it’s without the ball."
“So,🐻 there are two moments we men🍃tion (Chris Wood’s miss) in the first half that can change the game."
“I didn’t ask (Hooper), but I saw it. There is no 🦄problem in telling me I didn't see it the same way. We didn’t agree, me and VAR.”
Forest could have been ahead by this point but Wood, after he scored for a fourth consecutiv𒁃e match, hit the post from a matter of yards after Guglielmo Vicario had denied Yates in the 34th minute.
Spurs went on to score twice in quick succession after half-time through Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro to end Forꦉest’s three-match unbeaten.
It also ensured Nuno endured an unhappy first return to Tottenham since his 2021 dismissal after only 17 matches iﷺn charge.
While the Portuguese described it as a “special” occasion, he insisted his full focus was o🐎n 17th-placed 🅠Forest improving their survival chances at home to Wolves – another of his old clubs – next week.
“It was a pleasure to work here a💫t Spurs. It was an honour. Things didn’t work out and didn’t finish well. I keep going, Spurs keep on going,” Nuno reflected."
“It was special to come here. It is always special to come to a place where you worked, but it doesn’t take away the focus.𒅌 My focus is on Forest and we have to do much better next week because we are in a tough fight.”
