Nottingham Forest lodge complaint over officiating in Man City defeat and ask for audio from refereeing body
Sean Dyche, the Nottingham Forest boss, felt Rayan Cherki's winner should not have stood due to a foul on Morgan Gibbs-White and City defender Ruben Dias deserved to be sent off in the second half; Forest have asked for the audio between officials to understand referee Rob Jones' decisions
Monday 29 December 2025 21:29, UK
Nottingham Forest have formally complained about the officiating in their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City in the Premier League.
Sean Dyche, the Forest head coach, felt Rayan Cherki's 83rd-minute winner should not have stood due to a foul on Morgan Gibbs-White and City defender Ruben Dias deserved to be sent off in the second half for a second bookable offence.
Forest have asked PGMO, England's official body for professional referees, for the audio between the on-pitch officials and VAR team during the key moments of the match to better understand the decisions made by referee Rob Jones.
- Ref Watch: Ruben Dias should have been sent off
- Report & highlights: Nottingham Forest 1-2 Man City
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VAR does not have powers to step in for second yellow offences, which stopped the officials from intervening in the Dias situation.
Dias had been booked in the first half for dissent but avoided a second yellow for bringing down Forest striker Igor Jesus when he was breaking forward soon after the restart.
"They say it's an accident. If that's an accident when he's running through on goal we all know what happens. You get a red card. So why is it an accident and he isn't yellow carded then?" Dyche said.
"I just find it bizarre, I really do. And I think these are easy things. Just give him a second yellow, that's it. 'Off you go'. I'm absolutely stunned."
Former Premier League official Dermot Gallagher said Dias should have been sent off on Sky Sports News' Ref Watch but disagreed with Dyche on City's winner.
"Whether it is an accident doesn't matter. That is a second yellow card. It was a promising attack."
This is the second formal complaint Forest have lodged with PGMO this month after they felt Everton's James Tarkowski should have been sent off in their 3-0 defeat at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Forest feel raising the issue can start a broader discussion around officiating in the league this season, as well as getting responses on the key issues in the recent game.
Sky Sports News understands PGMOL will be in discussions with Nottingham Forest. The body regularly discusses refereeing matters privately with clubs as part of their regular engagements.
Ref Watch: Why Dias should have been sent off
INCIDENT: Ruben Dias avoids a second yellow card after referee Rob Jones penalised him for a foul on Igor Jesus 18 seconds into the second half...
DERMOT SAYS: "I have sympathy with him [Sean Dyche], I think it is a second yellow card. Dias brings him down.
"Whether it is an accident doesn't matter. That is a second yellow card. It was a promising attack.
JAY BOTHROYD: "Anywhere else on the field, this is an accidental challenge. I don't think they should be yellow cards, but Dermot explained that it stopped a promising attack.
"I understand that part now. He should have got a yellow card because it's a promising attack. Sean Dyche is right."
Should City's winner have been disallowed?
INCIDENT: Sean Dyche was not happy that a foul wasn't given for a Nico O'Reilly's coming together with Morgan Gibbs-White in the build-up to City's late winner.
DERMOT SAYS: "There are two clues here. Gibbs-White has pinned his [O'Reilly] arm and that is why O'Reilly fell. He has collapsed himself.
"If anything, he has fouled O'Reilly! No foul from City player so no reason to disallow the goal."
JAY BOTHROYD: "I don't think so here. He's collapsed his leg down, he's tried to con the referee into giving a free-kick. When Sean Dyche looks back at this, he will look at Gibbs-White trying to con the referee.
"O'Reilly is not even punishing him, he's marking him from behind. He's grabbed his arm and fallen down. He's come unstuck."
