Crystal Palace have apparently mocked Nottingham Forest’s controversial refereeing statement following their victory over West Ham.
After a 2–0 defeat to Everton, Forest surprisingly accused the PGMOL of hiring a Luton Town fan to work as VAR for the match, with Forest feeling aggrieved at not being awarded three penalties.
“Three extremely bad decisions – three unpronounced sanctions – that we simply cannot accept,” the statement said.
“We warned the PGMOL that the VAR was a Luton fan before the match but they did not change it. Our patience was tested on several occasions. The NFFC will now consider their options.”
The Football Association later confirmed that Forest would be investigated following the statement published on X shortly after full-time.
However, Palace appeared to decide to have some fun with his own post on the social media site in a similar style to Forest’s.
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After beating West Ham 5-2, they said: “Five extremely good goals – two goals conceded – which we simply have to accept. The #CPFC will now enjoy its Sunday.”
Forest’s statement came after Ashley Young escaped punishment for appearing to bring down Gio Reyna and Callum Hudson-Odoi as well as a handball in the Everton box after the ball hit the defender’s outstretched arm Toffees.
This, however, was quickly criticized, with Jamie Carragher calling it “embarrassing”, compared to the club’s comments being “like a fan in a pub”.
During his post-match interview with talkSPORT, Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo said he was ‘aware’ of the complaint and said referee Anthony Taylor had done a ‘bad job’ .
Goals from Idrissa Gueye and Dwight McNeil were enough for Everton to inflict what could be a crushing defeat on their struggling comrades.
The Toffees are four points clear of Forest and have a game in hand, with Nuno’s side just one point above the bottom three.
Both clubs were hit with points deductions for breaching profit and sustainability rules, but Everton have taken a big step towards safety.
Forest will face tough tests against Manchester City and Chelsea in the race as their Premier League status hangs in the balance.