Long-range strikes ease Everton fears but Forest to 'consider options' over VAR

Premier League: Everton 2 Nottingham Forest 0

Idrissa Gueye and Dwight McNeil scored with long-range efforts that should ensure that Everton extend their 70-year stay in the Premier League by at least one more season.

But it was a bitter defeat for Forest who saw three strong penalty claims - all for alleged infringements by Ashley Young - rejected by referee Anthony Taylor and VAR.

The two sides deducted points for breaching the Premier League’s PSR, financial fair play regulations produced a predictably nervous affair and consolation could come for Forest on Wednesday, when they hear the results of their appeal against their four-point penalty.

For Forest, who had taken the drastic step of appointing ex-official Mark Clattenburg as a club “referee analyst” two months ago, the frustrations at Goodison were the latest in a list of grievances Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have had against officiating this season.

After the game, a bizarre tweet from the Nottingham Forest official X account, said the club will now 'consider its options' and complained about the VAR allegedly being a Luton Town fan.

"Three extremely poor decisions - three penalties not given - which we simply cannot accept.

"We warned the PGMOL that the VAR is a Luton fan before the game but they didn’t change him. Our patience has been tested multiple times.

"NFFC will now consider its options."

A game low on quality, but high in stakes, saw Gueye shoot Everton into a first-half lead but Sean Dyche’s side required to survive the first two fierce penalty shouts by Forest.

Young was involved in both, either side of Gueye’s 29th-minute opener, as he first tripped Gio Reyna then appeared to handle Callum Hudson-Odoi’s cross.

In both cases, VAR viewed the