Nottingham Forest’s new referee analyst has had his say on Liverpool’s controversial last-gasp winner at the City Ground, which sparked fury among the home side’s players, fans and staff

Mark Clattenburg has been told his recollection of the build-up to Liverpool’s late winner at Nottingham Forest isn’t quite accurate after Darwin Nunez’s controversial goal.

It looked like the two sides were going to share the spoils and accept the 0-0 draw, but Nunez popped up with a crucial header in the last minute to ensure the Reds returned to Anfield with all three points.

However, the goal was marred by Forest protests after referee Paul Tierney stopped play moments earlier while the hosts were in possession due to a Ibrahima Konate head injury.

Forest’s Callum Hudson-Odoi was in possession at the time but, upon the restart, Tierney told Liverpool to carry on – instead of ordering the ball to be played back to Nuno Espirito Santo’s side. Therefore, when the Reds went up the other end and snatched a winner, chaos ensued.

Santo’s assistant Steven Reid was dismissed for comments made to Tierney on the pitch after the full-time whistle had blown, while owner Evangelos Marinakis confronted the official in the corridor outside the referees’ room. Clattenburg, who has been hired to operate as a middle man between Forest and referees, was quick to point out how Tierney got it wrong.

He claimed: ” If the referee is to stop the game for a head injury if he feels there is one. He’s rightly allowed to stop it. However, the ball has to go back to the team that has possession. AndNottingham Forestclearly had that possession.

“He did exactly the same in the first half however it was a different situation. The ball was closer to the penalty area and the Nottingham Forest was towards the corner flag. Nottingham Forest should have had the ball back. Instead, Liverpool have gone upfield and scored from it.”

With that being said, part of Clattenburg’s theory has been debunked by many online. Forest had chances to clear their lines long after Liverpool were wrongly handed possession, so to say Jurgen Klopp’s men have “gone on the attack and scored” – two minutes after the incident in question, isn’t entirely accurate.

The BBC’s commentator Ian Dennis weighed in on the debate and said: “I can understand the Forest frustration but their ‘Referee Analyst’ is incorrect to say Liverpool ‘have gone on the attack and scored from it’. It was around 2 mins and Forest had 2 or 3 chances to clear. The fall out of Forest’s fury with owner Marinakis in the tunnel will continue.”

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Nottingham Forest’s players and coaching staff protested the decision at full-time (
Image:
PA)
Clattenburg went on to add how he will instruct Forest to deal with the situation from this point onwards. The former Premier League ref continued: “I’m yet to advise the club on it – but this is a matter of law.

“I can explain the matter of law. That’s what I’m there for – to advise the board and the football club. I haven’t spoken to the referee. I haven’t gone in to see Paul. He wouldn’t allow me in. I’ll leave that to the officials from Nottingham Forest to do.

“I’ll advise them what to say – we talked about the incident. Everybody’s upset. They fought hard all game and when you lose a game like that people are frustrated. The owner’s quite upset because he has invested a lot of money in the football club and he wants to see results, he feels that another decision has gone against the club and quite rightly he’s upset.”