Nottingham Forest vs Burnley. Premier League.
The City GroundAttendance28,958.
Match report and free highlights as Callum Hudson-Odoi's debut goal earns Nottingham Forest a point against Burnley at the City Ground; Zeki Amdouni gave visitors the lead before Lyle Foster saw an effort controversially disallowed for handball; Foster later sent off for violent conduct
Monday 18 September 2023 23:49, UK
Callum Hudson-Odoi's wonderful debut goal earned Nottingham Forest a point against 10-player Burnley at the City Ground on Monday Night Football.
Having fallen behind to Zeki Amdouni's sublime strike four minutes before half-time, Forest's Deadline Day signing from Chelsea scored his first Premier League goal since October 2021 in spectacular fashion (61) to deny Burnley their first win of the season.
An eventful end-to-end contest throughout, both sides threatened to take all three points but it was Vincent Kompany's team who will feel aggrieved not to have scored the winner when Lyle Foster, who was later sent off in stoppage time for a separate incident, saw an effort controversially disallowed for a handball in the build-up following a VAR review.
The result will go down as an opportunity missed for Burnley but after three consecutive home defeats against Manchester City, Aston Villa and Tottenham, the draw gets last season's Championship winners off the mark this term. They stay 19th in the Premier League table, while Forest rise to eighth.
Burnley started brightly but Forest grew into the game and began to threaten through Hudson-Odoi and the in-form Taiwo Awoniyi. Hudson-Odoi tested James Trafford from outside the area while Awoniyi and Morgan Gibbs-White continued to ask questions of Burnley's defence, but it was the visitors who opened the scoring in the 41st minute.
After Amdouni had forced a fine save from Matt Turner from the edge of the area, the Switzerland international made sure he would not be denied a second time before the break. The impressive Luca Koleosho showed lightning pace down the left to beat Joe Worrall before his cross ended up in the path of Amdouni, whose powerful half-volley into the bottom corner from the edge of the box left Turner stranded.
It was the second time Amdouni had scored against Forest at the City Ground in under three weeks, after netting a late winner for Burnley in the second round of the Carabao Cup at the end of August.
Forest responded after the break and were level within 16 minutes. Hudson-Odoi, signed as one of seven players on the final day of the summer transfer window, received a pass from Awoniyi on the left-hand side of Burnley's box before shifting the ball onto his right foot and curling an effort into the far top corner via the post. After a VAR check for a potential handball by Awoniyi in the build-up, the goal stood and Forest were back in the game.
The hosts handed another debut to former Liverpool striker Divock Origi as they searched for a winner, but it was Burnley who thought they had found one 12 minutes before full-time. However, substitute Sander Berge was ruled to have handled the ball as he raced past Scott McKenna before setting up Foster to tap into an empty net.
That decision, made after referee Robert Jones was sent to the pitchside VAR monitor, sparked an angry reaction from the Burnley bench and the visitors' frustrations were further compounded when Foster was sent off for violent conduct after flinging an elbow at Ryan Yates in stoppage time.
Burnley manager Vincent Kompany speaking to Sky Sports: "It was dramatic. When you look at the gesture [Foster's elbow on Yates that got him sent off], it's a moment of inexperience and something you can't excuse, but at the same time, he has played his heart out for the team.
"Handballs and offsides, I will pass [talking] on those decisions. I just want to focus on getting the team right."
Asked more about the handball decision that denied Burnley a second goal, Kompany added: "Even the defender in the duel with Sander Berge doesn't say anything. You slow down the images, you highlight it. Do you want me to take a stance? I did everything I could to duck the question!
"I can't do anything about it. I don't really feel anger. I'm proud of the squad and a sign of a lot of progress."
On his side's performance, Kompany said: "We still have so much more room to progress. At least we defended the box and we didn't capitulate.
"It's the first year in the Premier League [for Luca Koleosho and Zeki Amdouni] and both have three, four or five years' growth. Luca runs into the box and wants to dribble. His end product will come, although he has had an assist already.
"This journey for us is not easy but at least there's something at the end of it and we can grow. I chose to play a back four that played together last season and that helped.
"The rest is just working on the training ground. Mistakes get punished much more than in the Championship. For us, it's a question of performance and confidence. We played against Nottingham Forest and are in the game, so that means there are six or seven teams that we can compete with."
Nottingham Forest head coach Steve Cooper speaking to Sky Sports: "If I'm honest I'm more disappointed at the moment of defending. You trust the process, they have given a handball and we move on."
On the game overall, Cooper said: "I felt we started brightly, played some good football and got into really good positions and should've done more with the positions we got into and been more of a threat.
"We gave a goal away that we shouldn't have done, it's a mistake the way we let him get in down the side. It was about regrouping, tweaking some things tactically and the boys showed good bravery.
"Callum's goal is one of high quality. I did feel we were on top, looking to get back into the game, got the goal, then the game really opened up."
Brentford boss Thomas Frank on Monday Night Football: "When looking at the frame-by-frame, we can see he touches the ball a tiny bit, but I think it's very harsh.
"What about the clear and obvious where they said they'd intervene? What if that was a defender? Would it be a penalty? They need to use common sense. They don't use common sense."
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher on Monday Night Football: "I'm with Thomas. I think it's extremely harsh. I think that should be a goal.
"I think initially he is running, so his arms are in front and he's trying to get there, then he sees the defender come across him.
"The arm is maybe slightly different from his running action, but then also the defender is coming across, so that left arm would normally come up anyway.
"It's the slightest of touches but to say he deliberately handballed it… it didn't change direction. I think they can feel a little bit aggrieved."
Sky Sports commentator Don Goodman at the City Ground: "I'm really not so sure it's a deliberate handball. I can understand why Burnley are frustrated.
"You just wonder, if that's a defender running back, are they really going to give a penalty for that? I don't think they are and that's the harshness of it."
Hudson-Odoi may have grabbed the headlines for his stunning debut goal for Nottingham Forest, but it was Burnley teenager Koleosho who really caught the eye at the City Ground on Monday night.
The 19-year-old winger, signed from Espanyol for an initial £2.6m this summer, produced an impressive performance as Kompany's side earned their first point of the Premier League season.
Koleosho showed electric speed to create Burnley's opener in the first half and was so dominant down the left against Gonzalo Montiel that the Forest right-back and Argentina World Cup winner was tactically substituted minutes into the second half.
It was more difficult for Koleosho to get the better of Ola Aina before he was replaced by Mike Tresor late on, but the young Italian offered more than enough to suggest Montiel won't be the only defender to struggle against him this term.
Nottingham Forest's next game is away to Manchester City on Saturday - kick-off 3pm. Steve Cooper's side then host Brentford on October 1, live on Sky Sports' Super Sunday - kick-off 2pm.
Burnley's next outing is at home to Manchester United on Saturday - kick-off 8pm. The Clarets then travel to Salford in the Carabao Cup on September 26 - kick-off 7.45pm.
