A newly surfaced camera angle has provided fresh confirmation that Nottingham Forest striker Neco Williams did handle the ball before his effort was ruled out by VAR, though the footage is unlikely to quell the anger surrounding the controversial decision.
The additional footage shows the ball making contact with Williams' left arm and then his right forearm before crossing the line. Crucially, this particular camera angle was not among those available to VAR official John Bankes at the time of the match, meaning his original decision was based on different evidence entirely. Bankes reportedly relied on the movement of Williams' shirt sleeve to determine that the ball had struck his right forearm.
While the new footage appears to support the officials' call, it also reveals that the ball did not touch Williams' head, contradicting what the player believed happened in real time. Given how quickly the incident unfolded, it is plausible Williams was genuinely unaware of the sequence of contact.
Williams had been adamant in the aftermath that no handball occurred. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "I've seen the images and the replays and at not one moment did I think I handballed it. I have seen all the images and at not one moment can you tell that has clearly hit my arms, because it never. I knew straight away I've headed it down in between my arms. It didn't hit my arm."
Sources close to the officiating body Pro Ref—formerly known as PGMOL—indicate there is some frustration at how the episode has played out, partly because Williams' firm denials have fueled criticism that might otherwise have been more muted. Pro Ref is said to be fully satisfied that the decision to disallow the goal was correct.
Former Premier League midfielder Danny Murphy offered a more sympathetic view of Forest's grievance during BBC's Match of the Day coverage, questioning whether the contact met the threshold required to overturn a goal. "It's a really tricky one," Murphy said. "Maybe it could be a tiny bit on his sleeve or right forearm. But is it clear and obvious? No. That's the answer."
Much of the debate has centered on whether the intervention required a "clear and obvious error" standard, a threshold cited by both Forest boss and Williams himself on social media. However, that standard applies only to subjective refereeing decisions requiring a pitchside review. Handball incidents preceding a goal are instead treated as factual matters, meaning the VAR can disallow a goal based on video evidence alone, without needing the referee to consult the monitor.
Critics argue this exposes an inherent flaw in the system: even these so-called