Fans of Manchester City, have expressed frustration with the referee following their 2–2 draw against Nottingham Forest, arguing that a late penalty should have been awarded during the match.
Supporters believe their side was denied a crucial opportunity when Erling Haaland went down in the penalty area while the score was 2–1 in favour of Manchester City. Many felt the striker was fouled by the goalkeeper and that the referee should have pointed to the spot.
Softfootball reviewed the incident multiple times and observed that the situation was a close and highly debatable one. From the footage, Haaland did not appear to be fully in possession of the ball at the moment of contact. The ball had already moved slightly away from him and was drifting toward the byline.
As the striker attempted to reach the ball, he pushed it forward and then collided with the approaching goalkeeper. While there was contact between the two players, the replay suggests that Haaland’s movement contributed significantly to the collision.
When the VAR review took place, two main considerations likely influenced the final decision. First, Haaland was not clearly in possession of the ball nor moving directly toward goal at the moment of the incident. Second, the ball itself appeared to be heading away from the scoring area and possibly out of play.
From the goalkeeper’s perspective, some observers could still argue that the challenge might warrant a penalty under certain interpretations. In the Premier League, many officiating decisions remain subjective, meaning similar incidents can sometimes result in different outcomes depending on the referee’s interpretation.
In this case, VAR ultimately supported the on-field decision that no penalty should be awarded.
However, blaming the result entirely on the officiating may overlook other key factors. Manchester City were already leading 2–1 and had the opportunity to secure the victory by maintaining defensive discipline.
Instead, defensive lapses allowed Nottingham Forest to equalise, highlighting the bigger issue for City this season, their inability to consistently protect leads and perform at the high level they have previously established.
