Dyche 'stunned' by 'bizarre' VAR calls in 'easy' game to officiate

Forest's head coach Sean Dyche was critical of the officials over several "perplexing" decisions in his side's narrow last-gasp 2-1 loss by Manchester City.

Dyche was convinced that Rayan Cherki's 83rd-minute winner at the City Ground deserved to be ruled out for a infringement on Morgan Gibbs-White prior to the shot.

He further contended that referee Rob Jones ought to have shown City defender Ruben Dias a second yellow card in the second half.

"Such an easy game to referee, in my opinion, such an easy decision for VAR [video assistant referee]," Dyche remarked.

"To have played so superbly and then be forced to address how the referees impacted the match is galling, but their effect was obvious.

"Every supporter in the ground and every viewer at home witnessed it."

Should Cherki's winner have been ruled out?

Sitting just outside the bottom three, a point against an in-form City side would have moved Forest six points clear from the relegation places.

But Cherki crushed their hopes as he slammed home a half-volley, striking the ball from the edge of the box through the legs of Gibbs-White.

Forest players were instantly remonstrated to referee Jones, claiming that Gibbs-White had been pushed to the ground by Nico O'Reilly and unable to blocking Cherki's strike.

"Morgan Gibbs-White quite clearly gets pushed to the floor and the same player is involved in blocking the ball," Dyche said.

"However, he's unable to make the block because the ball travels through the space his body would have occupied. From any angle, it's a foul."

The VAR examined the play, but in the end upheld Jones' on-field decision to stand.

Dyche added: "They'll say, 'Yeah, the ball wasn't there'. And you go, 'OK, so if the ball's not near the keeper and you push the keeper to the floor, is that going to be a foul then?'.

"We all know it is. I can't work it out. And then they score from it, which is the double whammy.

"I'm a big fan of VAR - I can't work out how you can't get that right."

Ought Dias have been sent off?

Dyche was equally incensed about Jones' decision not to send Dias off.

The experienced defender received a booking for dissent in the first half, complaining about a decision against him after his challenge on Igor Jesus.

Immediately after halftime, Dias fouled Igor Jesus again as the Forest forward was breaking upfield.

"It's deemed unintentional. Yet an accidental foul denying a clear chance is a red. So why is this different and not a second yellow?" Dyche questioned.

"It's absolutely perplexing to me. These are straightforward calls. Issue the second caution, that's all. 'Leave the pitch'. I am totally dumbfounded."

Jones awarded Forest a free-kick but disregarded appeals by Igor Jesus and other Forest players to show Dias a second booking.