Coventry City's narrow Premier League win at Nottingham Forest was preserved by a late VAR decision that disallowed a home equaliser. The Sky Blues held on for a 1-0 victory after referee Jare Gillett overturned an 88th-minute goal following a pitchside review.
Igor Jesus was judged to have fouled Caleb Yirenkyi before scoring, with the video assistant ruling the Forest forward had stood on the Coventry midfielder's foot. Gillett subsequently awarded a direct free-kick to the visitors, confirming the result that moved Mark Robins's side to 18th in the standings with three points from five games. The visitors' goal, which proved decisive, came from Jay Dasilva in the 55th minute, assisted by Carl Rushworth.
Former referees back VAR's call
Several experts have since supported the intervention. Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher said the technology was used correctly. "It is absolutely what VAR is there for," Gallagher stated. Ex-Cardiff City forward Jay Bothroyd also agreed with the ruling. "I agree, he stands on his foot and when you are sprinting back and you feel that, you are going to go down," Bothroyd said. Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville concurred that the foul was clear, adding that such contact is always penalised when seen.
The decision extended Nottingham Forest's winless home record this season, with the match played at the City Ground. Coventry's recent stats show just one win in their last five league matches, that solitary victory coming against Forest. The result is a significant boost in their battle against relegation.
Coventry now face a tough run of fixtures, with their next test at home to ninth-placed Newcastle United on October 12. The squad continues to deal with several absences listed on the injuries page, including Aurèle Amenda, Haji Wright, and Josh Eccles. Their next match at the Coventry Building Society Arena is set for a 3pm kick-off on October 12.
The original report is at Nottingham Post
