Nottingham Forest fans were left in disbelief and anger on Saturday afternoon after watching their team have a potentially game-changing goal controversially ruled out during their Premier League clash with Liverpool at Anfield. What initially appeared to be a perfectly legitimate goal quickly spiraled into one of the most debated VAR moments of the entire weekend, prompting heated discussions among supporters, pundits, and even neutral observers.
Forest had started the match strongly and had already taken the lead earlier through Murillo — a goal that itself arrived with its share of controversy. Liverpool boss Arne Slot was adamant that the opener should never have stood, arguing that it was similar to Virgil van Dijk’s disallowed goal against Manchester City prior to the international break. Despite Slot’s complaints, the officials allowed it to stand, giving Forest the early advantage and boosting their confidence.
Not long after, Forest believed they had doubled their lead. Igor Jesus found himself in the right spot inside the box, controlling the ball expertly before firing a powerful shot past Alisson Becker and into the bottom corner. The away section exploded with joy as players rushed towards the corner flag, convinced they had gone 2–0 up against the reigning champions.
But the joy was short-lived. Within seconds, the referee blew his whistle, signalling that he had spotted a handball in the build-up. Jesus looked visibly shocked, insisting he had controlled the ball legally. Replays quickly shown inside the stadium appeared to back him up, as the ball seemed to strike his shoulder or upper chest rather than his arm. The touch did not look intentional, nor did it give him any advantage, leaving both fans and analysts confused about the decision to chalk off the goal.
As expected, VAR intervened to review the incident. Forest players huddled around the referee in protest, while Liverpool supporters anxiously waited to see if the goal would still be disallowed. Multiple broadcast angles suggested that the contact was not an offence, yet VAR chose to support the on-field decision, confirming that the goal would not stand.
Shortly afterwards, the Premier League released an official statement on X, explaining that the VAR team determined Igor Jesus had “accidentally handled the ball before scoring,” and under the current laws, such situations must lead to the goal being disallowed. The explanation did little to ease frustrations.
Forest fans erupted across social media, calling it one of the season’s most shocking decisions. Many argued that the video footage made the situation obvious and claimed the ruling was an “absolute disgrace.” Even neutrals complained about the lack of consistency in VAR calls this season.
The timing of the incident only intensified the frustration. A 2–0 lead at Anfield would have put Forest in a commanding position and dramatically shifted the momentum. Instead, the match stayed 1–0, allowing Liverpool — who had lost seven of their previous ten matches — a fighting chance to recover after a difficult run of form.
