Story perspectives

VAR handball overturn denies Forest win, grants Tottenham point

9/5/2026

Summary

Glasner Slams VAR

Nottingham Forest manager Oliver Glasner condemned VAR referee Peter Bankes’s handball ruling that nullified Neco Williams’s goal.
Glasner said the decision lacked 100 % certainty after reviewing five or six angles, violating pre-season VAR thresholds.
The disallowed goal denied Forest a season-opening win and gave Tottenham Hotspur their first point.

Summary

De Zerbi Excludes Richarlison

Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi left Richarlison out of the 25-man Premier League squad.
De Zerbi said Richarlison told him in pre-season he wanted to leave.
De Zerbi confirmed Mykhailo Mudryk is ready for a 15-20-minute cameo after his Chelsea loan.
Mudryk debuted against Nottingham Forest, his first Premier League appearance since November 2024.
Tottenham have spent over £300 million this summer yet remain winless after three games, not scoring since 1974-75.

History

Historical Context

When the Premier League adopted VAR in the 2019-20 season, referee Michael Oliver’s controversial offside call sparked debate over technology’s reliability. The league recorded 1,200 reviewed incidents that season, and the Football Association reported a 12% increase in overturned decisions, prompting stricter guidelines. Today's disputes—Oliver Glasner condemning Peter Bankes’s handball nullification of Neco Williams’s goal and Roberto De Zerbi’s squad cuts amid £300 million spending—mirror those early VAR tensions. The precedent suggests future Premier League authorities may tighten review protocols, potentially limiting managerial criticism and reshaping transfer-budget strategies.

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Glasner Slams VAR

Nottingham Forest manager Oliver Glasner condemned VAR referee Peter Bankes’s handball ruling that nullified Neco Williams’s goal.
Glasner said the decision lacked 100 % certainty after reviewing five or six angles, violating pre-season VAR thresholds.
The disallowed goal denied Forest a season-opening win and gave Tottenham Hotspur their first point.

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