Nottingham Forest did not ask for Stuart Attwell to be taken off VAR duties for their match against Everton, sources have told the PA news agency.
Forest issued an extraordinary statement on social media on Sunday after their 2-0 defeat at Goodison Park, saying they had “warned” referees’ body Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) that Attwell “was a Luton fan” but that “they did not change him”.
The statement also complained about three penalty appeals which were turned down. Forest said they were now “considering their options”, while the Football Association is understood to be investigating the post.
PA understands Forest’s referee analyst Mark Clattenburg contacted PGMOL’s chief refereeing officer Howard Webb on Friday to share that manager Nuno Espirito Santo might be asked about Attwell’s appointment at his pre-match press conference, but ultimately no such questions were asked.
However, the PA news agency has been told Forest, and Clattenburg, did not request for the appointment of Attwell to be changed and nor did the club express that they had any problem with the appointment.
Forest have been contacted for comment.
The Reds were furious not to be awarded spot-kicks by referee Anthony Taylor for challenges on Giovanni Reyna and Callum Hudson-Odoi by Ashley Young, who also escaped a handball decision. Attwell backed the referee’s on-field decision in each case.
The club’s social media post on X read: “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.”
Clattenburg later wrote in a Daily Mail column: “One of these errors would have been bad enough. Three was a joke, and that is why Nottingham Forest were left feeling victimised after another defeat in which zero big decisions went their way.
“In a season where they have had to endure some egregious refereeing, this trip to Everton was as grim a game as they have encountered since returning to the Premier League.”
He added: “You will have seen the statement released by the club — how the PGMOL was contacted to warn that it was not appropriate for a Luton fan such as Attwell to play such a pivotal role in a massive match that would impact the relegation race.
“Certainly, I would not have risked this situation if I were the head of the referees and all of this could have been avoided had the PGMOL simply made smarter appointments.
“Referees do not make mistakes deliberately but this was mind-boggling to watch. Why Attwell did not send Taylor to his screen, only he will know.”
Clattenburg also spoke out last month after Forest’s defeat to Liverpool, when he highlighted that referee Paul Tierney had made an error in law by mistakenly handing possession back to Liverpool for a drop ball late in the game.
On that occasion, the club were fined £75,000 for failing to control their players while first-team coach Steven Reid was fined and given a two-match touchline ban for his abusive behaviour towards Tierney.
Manchester City and Manchester United will meet in the FA Cup final for the second year in a row after City beat Chelsea and United survived a thrilling semi-final against Coventry.
Here, the PA news agency looks at their head-to-head record in the competition and the historical significance of next month’s clash.
Previous meetings
Ilkay Gundogan’s goal after 12 seconds – the fastest FA Cup final goal in history – is the abiding memory of City’s 2-1 win last year.
Bruno Fernandes equalised from a penalty but a second Gundogan strike sealed City’s fourth and most significant victory in nine FA Cup derbies dating back almost a century.
City won the 1926 semi-final 3-0, Tommy Browell scoring twice, but went on to lose the final 1-0 to Bolton. The Manchester rivals did not meet in the competition again until a 1955 fourth-round clash also won by City, 2-0.
United won the next four ties against City, starting with another fourth-round meeting in 1970 when Brian Kidd – a future assistant manager of both clubs – scored twice in a 3-0 win.
Norman Whiteside scored the only goal in 1987’s third-round tie and Eric Cantona’s penalty proved decisive in a 2-1 fifth-round win in 1996. They met at that stage again in 2004, Ruud van Nistelrooy scoring twice as United won 4-2 despite Gary Neville’s first-half dismissal.
A solitary Yaya Toure goal settled the 2011 semi-final in City’s favour before United’s Paul Scholes was sent off – this time City went on to win the competition, beating Stoke in the final.
United held off a second-half fightback from 10-man City in the following season’s third round, Wayne Rooney’s brace setting up a 3-2 win, before Gundogan’s Wembley heroics last year.
Deja vu
This will be the first time in 129 years that the same two clubs have met in the final in consecutive seasons. Queen’s Park, the only Scottish side to play in an FA Cup final, were beaten by Blackburn in both 1884 and 1885 at the Oval.
The nearest in the intervening years has been the same two teams meeting three years apart, most recently Arsenal beating Chelsea 2-1 in both 2017 and 2020. City and United will become the 17th pair of teams to meet in multiple finals.
United rank second all time for FA Cup wins, two behind Arsenal on 12, and will remain there regardless of the outcome this time around. Victory for City would be their eighth, lifting them to joint third alongside Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham.
What the papers say
The top three clubs in the Premier League, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City will battle for Wolves left back Rayan Ait-Nouri this summer, according to the Mirror. The 22-year-old Algerian has played 28 Premier League games for Wolves this season and scored two goals and added an assist.
Meanwhile, Wolves are weighing up a number of players if their goalkeeper Jose Sa leaves in the summer. The Sun reports the clubs reported targets include Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale, Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher and Sunderland’s Anthony Patterson.
Crystal Palace are considering a move for 23-year-old Club Brugge midfielder Raphael Onyedika if they lose star players Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise, the Sun says.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Luis Diaz: Barcelona are circling the Liverpool forward this summer, who has scored eight goals with four assists in the Premier League this season, according to Spanish outlet Sport.
Ferland Mendy: Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool are interested in Real Madrid’s 28-year-old French defender, French publication L’Equipe says.
Nottingham Forest have accused VAR Stuart Attwell of being a Luton fan after feeling they were on the wrong end of “three extremely poor decisions” during Sunday’s 2-0 Premier League defeat at Everton.
Forest posted on X, formerly Twitter, soon after full-time that they were considering their options, having “warned the PGMOL that the VAR is a Luton fan before the game but they didn’t change him”, adding that their patience had now been “tested multiple times” this season.
The relegation-threatened midlands club were furious not to be awarded spot-kicks by Anthony Taylor for challenges on Giovanni Reyna and Callum Hudson-Odoi by Ashley Young, who in the meantime had looked fortunate to escape a handball decision, with Attwell backing the referee.
Forest posted: “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.”
All three incidents were waved away by referee Taylor, with VAR Attwell opting not to reverse any decision, suggesting with the handball that Young’s arm had been deemed to be in a natural position when it was hit by Hudson-Odoi’s cross.
Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo backed the club’s statement in the main but played down the importance of Attwell’s allegiances.
Asked whether he agreed with his club’s stance, he said: “Yes I share (the view) because I saw the images. You see it so clearly, you don’t understand why the decision was against us.
“I honestly think the situation with Gio Reyna in the first half was a clear one and the handball, we can ask because if not, the ball goes to (Chris) Wood and there is an incident with Callum and Ashley Young.
“I share the feeling of the club because it is not only this game, it has been a while for poor decisions against us. It is not an excuse but we are not comfortable with the referees.”
Nuno stopped short of repeating the club’s suggestion Attwell’s appointment as VAR raised issues of impartiality, instead choosing to question the official’s inability to spot what he thought were three viable spot-kicks.
“I am aware of the complaint that the club was not comfortable with the VAR but the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) decided another way,” he said.
“It is not important if he is a fan of another club or not. The VAR is sitting down in a chair, they have time to assess the images.
“I would just like to understand the why – why we have always been on the end of bad decisions.
“It is a feeling of disappointment that we are always being punished and it is difficult to control the players with this feeling because they felt they worked hard and not got what they deserved.”
Asked whether he thought it was appropriate for the club to complain about the appointment of officials before a match, the Forest boss said: “I prefer not to answer if it is appropriate.
“It’s a feeling and trying to avoid what happened today and not raise any more suspicions or thoughts that no-one wants. It is about preventing.”
It is not the first time Forest have been incensed with refereeing decisions, and as a result they appointed former official Mark Clattenburg as a consultant analyst to fight their corner.
Writing in the Daily Mail, Clattenburg described the three decisions as “a joke” and said Forest had been subjected to “some egregious refereeing” this season.
He added: “You will have seen the statement released by the club — how the PGMOL were contacted to warn that it was not appropriate for a Luton fan such as Attwell to play such a pivotal role in a massive match that would impact the relegation race.
“Certainly, I would not have risked this situation if I were the head of the referees and all of this could have been avoided had the PGMOL simply made smarter appointments.
“Referees do not make mistakes deliberately but this was mind-boggling to watch. Why Attwell did not send Taylor to his screen, only he will know.”
The PA news agency understands the Football Association is aware of the post and is investigating. PA has also contacted the PGMOL for comment.
Amid the furore, Everton moved five points clear of the relegation zone after goals in either half for Idrissa Gueye and Dwight McNeil.
The only downside to the day for the hosts was striker Beto being carried off after being knocked unconscious in a clash of heads.
“He definitely came around and could understand what is going on, a good early sign,” Toffees boss Sean Dyche said.
“It was fantastic how early the medical team came around, we hope for news over the next 24 to 48 hours.”
The Everton manager was happy to have secured back-to-back home wins either side of Monday’s 6-0 humiliation at Chelsea.
“It is very pleasing considering the madness of the current situation – two wins and two clean sheets in three games, sandwiched by a horrible performance,” he said.
“The reaction was very important today.”
Newcastle striker Alan Shearer announced his retirement from football on this day in 2006.
The former England captain confirmed that his career had been brought to a close at the age of 35 after sustaining a knee injury in the Wear-Tyne derby the previous week.
In what turned out to be his final game for the Magpies, Shearer scored a penalty as his side went on to win 4-1 against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
However, he was forced to call time on his playing days after tearing his medial ligament in a challenge with Julio Arca.
News of his retirement came as Newcastle faced West Brom in their efforts to secure European football.
A huge banner was displayed in an act of appreciation at the Gallowgate End of St James’ Park, showing Shearer in his famous goal celebration pose with the message: “Thanks for 10 great years.”
With their talisman sidelined, goals from Nolberto Solano and Shola Ameobi kicked off the post-Shearer era as the Magpies beat the Baggies 3-0 in front of 52,272 fans.
The crowd were sparked into full voice 15 minutes from time when Shearer briefly poked his head out of the dugout.
Shearer arrived back to his native Tyneside in 1996 after transferring from Blackburn, and went on to score 206 goals in his 10 years at Newcastle.
He is regarded as the greatest Premier League striker, scoring a record 260 goals, and won three Golden Boots during his career.
Pep Guardiola feels his Manchester City players will need to cool off “in the fridge” after their exertions of the past few days.
City responded to last Wednesday’s draining penalty shootout loss to Real Madrid by digging in for a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Chelsea in their FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Saturday.
The win, secured by a late goal from Bernardo Silva, maintained their hope of defending the domestic double but Guardiola later hit out at the scheduling of the fixture.
The City boss felt his players should have been allowed more rest after their European game and he now intends to give them a break before they return to Premier League action at Brighton on Thursday.
“In the fridge for two days,” said Guardiola when asked what his plans were for his squad ahead of the trip to the Amex Stadium.
“Don’t see each other, stay at home with your families. Try to rest, nothing special.
“Two days to prepare for Brighton and (Nottingham) Forest. One game at a time.”
Guardiola clarified comments after the game suggesting he could boycott media duties over the issue.
The Spaniard insisted he meant to say he would not have time to go above and beyond the usual obligations.
“No, it’s Gary Lineker – come on!” he said, in reference to the host of Saturday’s BBC TV coverage.
“If they ask for a photoshoot for the broadcasters, I’ll say no I’m busy, I don’t have time. It’s a joke for the future.
“I always attend the media because I represent this institution. I’ve always done it and will always do it, but if they ask for extra then I don’t have time.
“If you put me in a game every three days then the managers have a lot to do.”
Guardiola also praised the character of Silva, who had been one of two City players to miss in the penalties in the defeat by Real. The Portuguese had also been close to being substituted shortly before scoring his 84th-minute winner.
He said: “Always life gives you a second chance and he took it.
“I was thinking of changing it and put Oscar (Bobb) on the right but, after the goal, Bernardo is so intelligent to keep the ball. So intuitive. In that moment I could not change him.
“He was so tired but Bernardo has this special intelligence. I’m so happy, he deserves the best. They weren’t easy days for him.”
Real Madrid took a giant leap towards the LaLiga title after Jude Bellingham’s stoppage-time goal secured a 3-2 win against arch-rivals Barcelona.
Bellingham fired home at the far post in the first minute of added time after Vinicius Junior’s first-half penalty and Lucas Vazquez had cancelled out goals from Barca pair Andreas Christensen and Fermin Lopez in El Clasico.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side moved 11 points clear of Barca at the top of the table with six games remaining with victory at the Bernabeu, where the visitors needed to win to preserve their title aspirations.
Atletico Madrid’s top-four hopes were dented as they followed up their midweek Champions League exit to Borussia Dortmund with a shock 2-0 defeat at Alaves, with Carlos Benavidez and Luis Rioja on target for the hosts.
Real Sociedad remain in the final European qualification place after being held 1-1 at Getafe, for whom Mason Greenwood assisted Oscar Rodriguez’s first-half equaliser after Ander Barrenetxea had given the visitors the lead.
In the Bundesliga, Josip Stanisic’s stoppage-time equaliser clinched champions Bayer Leverkusen a 1-1 draw at Borussia Dortmund and extended his side’s unbeaten run in all competitions this season to 45 matches.
Leverkusen, crowned German title winners for the first time last week, trailed to Niclas Fullkrug’s late effort at Signal Iduna Park before Croatia defender Stanisic headed them level in the seventh minute of added time.
Third-placed Stuttgart’s 11-game unbeaten league run was halted in a 2-1 defeat at mid-table Werder Bremen.
In Serie A, Atalanta climbed back up to sixth place with a 2-1 win at Monza, with Charles De Ketelaere and El Bilal Toure on target before Daniel Maldini’s late consolation for the hosts.
Paris St Germain moved 11 points clear at the top of Ligue 1 after a convincing 4-1 home win against Lyon, in which Goncalo Ramos fired a double with all five goals scored before the interval.
Third-placed Brest slipped to back-to-back defeats, with their bid for a top-three finish faltering after a 2-0 home defeat to Monaco.
Denis Zakaria and Takumi Minamino scored either side of half-time for Monaco, who had Eliesse Ben Seghir and Wilfried Singo sent off in added time, both for violent conduct.
Lille maintained their Champions League challenge, bouncing back from their Europa Conference League exit at the hands of Aston Villa by beating Strasbourg 1-0 at home.
Jonathan David struck early in the first half to lift Lille one point behind Brest with a game in hand.
Defender William Saliba knows Arsenal have to win their remaining five Premier League games if they are going to become champions.
The Gunners returned to the top of the table after a 2-0 win at Wolves on Saturday night and are now level on points with Liverpool following their win at Fulham on Sunday.
Both sides could move further ahead of Manchester City, who were in FA Cup semi-final action on Saturday and do not play in the league until Thursday night – by which point they will have two games in hand.
The Gunners could move four points clear of City if they beat Chelsea on Tuesday night and with games against Tottenham, Bournemouth, Manchester United and Everton to come, Saliba says Arsenal cannot afford to drop any more points.
“Of course, anything can happen in the last five games,” the defender said.
“If we want something at the end we have to win. It will be very tough because we are so close to Liverpool and City but we started well today and we have to keep going.
“If we want to put pressure on, we have to win, to win and keep going like this. We know it will be hard but we are prepared.”
The victory at Molineux, secured by goals from Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard, was a good response to a difficult week for Arsenal following back-to-back defeats against Aston Villa and Bayern Munich.
“We know it’s really hard to come back after the two last games because we lost but we knew how important this game was,” he said.
“We came back with a win and a clean sheet. We are happy and we have to keep going like this. We have good experience from last year and this season too.
“We know it can be up and down very quickly so we are well prepared.”
Wolves are crippled by injuries, with all of their main attacking options ruled out or not fit enough to start.
But boss Gary O’Neil said Pablo Sarabia and Mario Lemina, who came off the bench against the Gunners, should be able to start against Bournemouth on Wednesday.
“I was trying to pick a team with the rest of the week in mind, trying to juggle it with just 10 available that can complete 90 minutes,” he said.
“It was a tough call but we felt we’d be able to produce that high-energy performance and get a couple of them a bit of a rest.
“Pablo’s groin settled down even further and hopefully it will do them both good not to have gone through 90 minutes and they will be feeling a bit better come Wednesday.”
Goncalo Ramos helped himself to a double as Paris St Germain went 11 points clear at the top of Ligue 1 after a 4-1 win over Lyon without needing to call upon Kylian Mbappe.
The France international was left sitting on the bench as Ramos struck twice after Nemanja Matic’s own goal and Lucas Beraldo’s strike, with Ernest Nuamah replying at the Parc des Princes in a dress rehearsal for next month’s Coupe de France final.
Victory strengthened the champions’ grip on the title, with Monaco, who had Eliesse Ben Seghir and Wilfried Singo sent off in stoppage time, having earlier gone second after winning 2-0 at Brest to leapfrog them.
The home side, who have not lost in the league since September, wasted little time in establishing their authority, although they needed a helping hand from the unwitting Matic to do so.
Bradley Barcola, playing against his former club, made ground down the left before feeding a third-minute pass in to Vitinha, whose attempted cross clipped the midfielder and flew past keeper Anthony Lopes.
It took a last-ditch block from Jake O’Brien to prevent Randal Kolo Muani from making it 2-0 with just five minutes played, but the respite proved fleeting as Barcola flicked on Marco Asensio’s corner and defender Beraldo fired into the roof of the net from point-blank range.
Gianluigi Donnarumma had to claw away Said Benrahma’s deflected cross, but Barcola called upon Lopes with a 14th-minute strike and Kolo Muani scuffed wide after another enterprising run from Barcola, with the bulk of traffic heading towards the visitors’ goal.
O’Brien came to Lyon’s rescue once again with a perfectly-timed tackle on the goal-bound Kolo Muani after Achraf Hakimi had played him in with a fine 23rd-minute pass.
Donnarumma tipped away Alexandre Lacazette’s rising drive as Pierre Sage’s men enjoyed a period of possession, but Ramos’ thumping header from Hakimi’s cross made it 3-0 13 minutes before the break, and it might have been worse for the visitors with Barcola hitting a post from a tight angle seconds later.
Nuamah reduced the deficit with a skidding effort and then clipped the outside of a post as half-time approached, but Ramos struck again with 42 minutes gone, sliding in to dispatch Asensio’s low cross after Warren Zaire-Emery had broken at pace.
PSG laid siege to Lopes’ goal on their return and Ramos whipped a 53rd-minute shot on the turn into the keeper’s midriff, but Donnarumma had to save from Rayan Cherki and Maxence Caqueret as the visitors responded.
With Lyon opting for damage limitation after the break, clear-cut chances were at a premium for the hosts and indeed it was Donnarumma who had to repel a late attempt from substitute Mama Balde.
Erik Ten Hag insisted he was not embarrassed but admitted Manchester United “got away with it” after edging past Championship Coventry on penalties in their FA Cup semi-final.
The Premier League outfit were given an almighty scare at Wembley on Sunday as the second-tier side fought back from 3-0 down and then had a late extra-time winner disallowed for a marginal offside.
A thrilling contest ended 3-3 after 120 minutes and it was United who ultimately prevailed, 4-2 on spot-kicks, to set up a repeat of last year’s final against rivals Manchester City.
It was another highly unconvincing performance by United – which may have increased the pressure on under-fire manager Ten Hag – but the Dutchman tried to highlight the positives.
Ten Hag said: “I can’t say that word (embarrassment) because, at the end of the day, it’s about the achievement.
“I see the mistakes we make – we can’t look away from it – but it’s not an embarrassment. It’s a huge achievement.
“Even the big team from United, a decade ago, only achieved the final three times. We now have two times in two years. So that’s a good performance.
“I see we can play in very high levels but in the same match we can also go very low. That’s not explainable. It has to do with managing the game.
“I have to teach my players, clearly. We have to do better in such occasions.
“On several occasions we’ve let the result slip away but today we got away with it.”
United had looked to be cruising past an apparently inferior opponent as they opened up a handsome lead with goals from Scott McTominay, Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes.
Yet the Sky Blues, who are eighth in the Championship, pulled one back through Ellis Simms on 71 minutes and then threw caution to the wind.
Callum O’Hare pulled another back with a deflected strike and Haji Wright sent the game into extra time with a stoppage-time penalty after handball by Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Both sides hit the bar in extra time before Victor Torp thought he had snatched a dramatic winner in the closing minutes, only for VAR to rule Wright fractionally offside in the build-up.
Despite the heartbreaking manner of the loss, Sky Blues manager Mark Robins insisted there was no feeling of injustice.
The former United striker said: “If it’s the right call, it’s the right call. I think he was a toenail offside, which is disappointing. Had he cut his toenail, we wouldn’t be talking about penalties.
“This FA Cup run will be spoken about, certainly in Coventry City circles, for a long, long time.
“Whilst I’m disappointed for everybody, we can’t be too down about it. We’ve gone toe to toe with Manchester United, come back from 3-0 down and almost won it with a fourth, then lost it in a shoot-out, which can happen.
“We performed like Manchester United for that last half-hour and that’s what I’m most proud of.
“This club has been in the doldrums for so long but we’re certainly out of that period. We’ve just got to keep moving it forward, which is why we won’t feel sorry for ourselves.”
Jurgen Klopp lauded Liverpool’s “complete” second-half performance after they secured a 3-1 victory at Fulham to move level on points with top-of-the-table Arsenal.
Liverpool regained their winning touch in the Premier League after last week’s 1-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace as they enjoyed three points with goals from Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ryan Gravenberch and Diogo Jota.
Timothy Castagne had equalised for the Cottagers with his first goal for the club in the first half but it was not enough as Klopp’s men showed their class after the break.
“The second half was a complete performance, if you want,” Klopp said.
“It was our best performance so far that we’ve had against Fulham. I thought the next step was to win today, the boys did that and it was really good. We created much more chances, we could’ve scored more often.
“I’m really happy with the performance and hopefully nobody got hurt and we will see because we have to recover quickly as we’re playing on Wednesday.
“We’re in the situation we are at the moment because of the character of these boys. Nobody expected us to be here and we are and that’s because of the boys.”
Alexander-Arnold’s 32nd-minute free-kick was the pick of the goals after his stunning strike gave the Reds the lead.
Klopp believes “nobody plays like” the full-back after he returned from a knee injury at Anfield last week.
https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/1782083567528333595
When asked how important it is to have Alexander-Arnold back in the side, Klopp added: “It’s super important.
“Nobody is like Trent so that’s how it is. The way we play with him can be different so it’s super helpful and I’m really happy about that.
“It’s good for once to have all the big guns around.
“It’s a great free-kick and he has that from time to time. We needed it, it was a great goal, the other goals were good. For long periods of time Trent was exceptional, superb.”
Fulham boss Marco Silva admitted the defending in the lead-up to Liverpool’s second and third goals needed to be better as his side rued a leaky performance at the back.
Silva said: “I think the third goal killed the game, we were very loose on the right. It was one moment we should be stronger in the challenge because we were soft and it was a moment to stop the situation before Jota scored.
“It was hard to concede the second and third in the second half. After that it was hard for us to react.”
AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli wants victory “for several reasons” as they prepare for their derby clash with Inter Milan on Monday.
Milan were knocked out of the Europa League at the hands of fellow Serie A side Roma in midweek and will be looking to bounce back with a victory against their city rivals.
The Rossoneri sit second in the table behind Monday’s opponents and a win for Inter means they could also clinch the title, something Pioli insists his side will use for extra motivation.
He said on acmilan.com: “Pride, redemption, belonging, responsibility, all good terms to describe the game that awaits us.
“Because of the league table, the Europa League exit, and for the fact that they want to win the Scudetto in this game, we have a big opportunity. A victory would be important for several reasons.
“I have a lot of faith in my players, they know how important the game is. The more you play and gain trust if you understand how to stay in the game, it will be fundamental not to give away chances at the start like we have done in recent derbies.”
Milan will also be looking for revenge after they were thrashed 5-1 in the reverse fixture during Inter’s impressive start to the season and they have been beaten the last five times the sides have played each other.
Pioli knows his side have to be at their very best to get a result on Monday.
“We had high expectations in the fixture earlier this season, then we weren’t able to overcome some obstacles during the game. As far as the tactical choices go, we are open to every option.
“We will need to play an exceptional game, we come off the back of five consecutive defeats against them and they have always given us problems.
“They deserve to win the Scudetto but we need to do everything we can to ensure it doesn’t happen tomorrow. We have worked hard in the last few days, we are totally focused on best preparing for the game”.
A win for Milan could all but secure their Champions League status for next season and, with nothing else to play for this season, Pioli has set his side the objective of finishing the season strongly.
He added: “I ask my AC Milan to win and do well from now until the very end. After seven wins on the bounce, we didn’t play as we could have done, we need to give it our all and do so until the end of the season.
“Journalists and fans have the right to criticise, tomorrow there will be 70,000 fans spurring on AC Milan, nothing else matters. The squad shouldn’t play for me, but for the fans and to honour the shirt.
“I want to give everything as I have done since my first day, I have been given a lot and I still feel like I have a lot to give to this team. Work is the only verb I know, we will try to win every game from now until the end and then we will see.”
Nottingham Forest have accused VAR Stuart Attwell of being a Luton fan after feeling they were on the wrong end of “three extremely poor decisions” during Sunday’s 2-0 Premier League defeat at Everton.
Forest posted on X, formerly Twitter, soon after full-time that they were considering their options, having “warned the PGMOL that the VAR is a Luton fan before the game but they didn’t change him”, adding that their patience had now been “tested multiple times” this season.
The relegation-threatened midlands club were furious not to be awarded spot-kicks by Anthony Taylor for challenges on Giovanni Reyna and Callum Hudson-Odoi by Ashley Young, who in the meantime had looked fortunate to escape a handball decision, with Attwell backing the referee.
Forest posted: “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.”
All three incidents were waved away by referee Taylor, with VAR Attwell opting not to reverse any decision, suggesting with the handball that Young’s arm had been deemed to be in a natural position when it was hit by Hudson-Odoi’s shot.
Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo backed the club’s statement in the main but played down the importance of Attwell’s allegiances.
Asked whether he agreed with his club’s stance, he said: “Yes I share (the view) because I saw the images. You see it so clearly, you don’t understand why the decision was against us.
“I honestly think the situation with Gio Reyna in the first half was a clear one and the handball, we can ask because if not, the ball goes to (Chris) Wood and there is an incident with Callum and Ashley Young.
“I share the feeling of the club because it is not only this game, it has been a while for poor decisions against us. It is not an excuse but we are not comfortable with the referees.”
Nuno stopped short of repeating the club’s suggestion Attwell’s appointment as VAR raised issues of impartiality, instead choosing to question the official’s inability to spot what he thought were three viable spot-kicks.
“I am aware of the complaint that the club was not comfortable with the VAR but the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) decided another way,” he said.
“It is not important if he is a fan of another club or not. The VAR is sitting down in a chair, they have time to assess the images.
“I would just like to understand the why – why we have always been on the end of bad decisions.
“It is a feeling of disappointment that we are always being punished and it is difficult to control the players with this feeling because they felt they worked hard and not got what they deserved.”
Asked whether he thought it was appropriate for the club to complain about the appointment of officials before a match, the Forest boss said: “I prefer not to answer if it is appropriate.
“It’s a feeling and trying to avoid what happened today and not raise any more suspicions or thoughts that no-one wants. It is about preventing.”
It is not the first time Forest have been incensed with refereeing decisions, and as a result they appointed former official Mark Clattenburg as a consultant analyst to fight their corner.
The PA news agency understands the Football Association is aware of the post and is investigating, and has contacted the PGMOL for comment.
Amid the furore, Everton moved five points clear of the relegation zone after goals in either half for Idrissa Gueye and Dwight McNeil.
The only downside to the day for the hosts was striker Beto being carried off after being knocked unconscious in a clash of heads.
“He definitely came around and could understand what is going on, a good early sign,” Toffees boss Sean Dyche said.
“It was fantastic how early the medical team came around, we hope for news over the next 24 to 48 hours.”
The Everton manager was happy to have secured back-to-back home wins either side of Monday’s 6-0 humiliation at Chelsea.
“It is very pleasing considering the madness of the current situation – two wins and two clean sheets in three games, sandwiched by a horrible performance,” he said.
“The reaction was very important today.”
Philippe Clement insists Rangers reacted as he expected after getting back to winning ways with a 2-0 Scottish Cup semi-final victory over Hearts at Hampden Park.
The Light Blues went into the game with just two wins in eight in all competitions and on the back of a goalless draw against Dundee on Wednesday night which followed their first ever defeat by Ross County in their cinch Premiership encounter in Dingwall last Sunday.
The Gers boss, who raised eyebrows by dropping regular centre-back Connor Goldson in a reshuffle, saw striker Cyriel Dessers score a goal in each half to set up a date with Celtic on May 25 – the first Old Firm final since 2002.
“To say it’s pleasing it not a good word,” said Clement, who revealed attacker Abdallah Sima will be assessed in the next couple of days after going off early with an injury.
“It’s what I expected. It’s what I demanded, it’s what I wanted.
“It was what I knew I would get from the team, also. I was totally not pleased about the game after Ross County, with how we lost our structure and lost our normal football.
“Against Dundee, we were too much in a rush to score a goal and today we found the right balance again, what we have been doing for a lot of months.
“But it’s been challenging in the last couple of months with all the injuries and players in and out.
“We have been lacking rhythm. But today, if you see the bench, it is stronger again and that’s going to be important in the next couple of weeks when it’s one game a week.
“Before these cup semi-finals we were the only team that played during the week. It makes a different and you need to look at that if you have three games in seven or eight days.
“With players coming out of injury you cannot let them play all the minutes. It’s been a puzzle around that but now, in this last part of the season, it’s going to be a challenge in the squad with players coming back.
“Quality then rises in the training and quality rises in the game also because we have a strong bench.”
Hearts boss Steven Naismith blamed “immaturity” for failing to make more of their attacking play.
“Frustrated, disappointed with the outcome,” he said. “That is the overriding emotion.
“We got off to a terrible start, we can’t lose cheap, early goal like we did.
“But the reaction from then until the second goal was good.
“I thought we controlled the ball a lot, created opportunities and what you see is our immaturity in the final third.
“We had four or five really good situations and we either pick the wrong option, or the wrong pass or we don’t get the finish.
“And these are moments when we must hit the target or make the goalkeeper make a save or score a goal.
“That is the biggest frustration for me because we get good opportunities that we didn’t take and the goals we conceded were cheap.”
West Ham boss David Moyes declared he was “embarrassed to be speaking on behalf of the team” after the Hammers’ European ambitions were dealt a significant blow in their 5-2 thrashing at Crystal Palace.
The visitors were already facing a 4-0 deficit 31 minutes after kick-off at Selhurst Park thanks to Michael Olise’s nodded opener and an audacious overhead Eberechi Eze effort as well as the first of two for Jean-Philippe Mateta and an Emerson own goal.
Antonio clawed one back before the break and Moyes’ men could take no credit for their second, a late own goal credited to Dean Henderson, who turned in Tyrick Mitchell’s backpass one minute from time.
Moyes, who shot back tersely when asked about his job security, was far more forthcoming when it came to his scathing assessment of the Irons’ performance, saying: “The first half was as bad as I’ve seen us play. We’ve had three or four of these incidents.
“I don’t think the team in the three years I have been here have gone to the depths, in three or four games this year. The first half was unacceptable. We mainly were defending, the way we started the game, we’re not connected in the way we’ve played.
“You can’t play this level of football in the Premier League. We didn’t compete. It was hard to actually explain it.
“I’m so disappointed for the supporters who came here today and in truth I’m embarrassed to sit here and actually be speaking on behalf of the team and the way they performed today but I’m the manager.
“I’ve got to say I’ve not had many teams who have played like that in my whole career.”
Moyes refused to blame tired legs from Thursday’s 1-1 Europa League quarter-final second leg draw with Leverkusen as an “excuse”, though when pressed for a “reason” conceded the tight turnaround probably did not help.
And while he was adamant Sunday’s defeat would have “nothing do do with” how he would approach potential contract negotiations, when asked if his side’s performance could take the choice of a continued tenure out of his hands, simply replied: “If it is then it is” then later refused to take further questions on the subject.
With Sunday’s defeat, the Hammers’ chances of returning to Europe next season look improbable, though the boss said his side will keep fighting until their fate is sealed.
He said: “We might still have a chance. Because we lost a couple of games doesn’t mean we don’t still have a chance. We still do have a chance. We’ll keep going, keep trying to do it.
“We’re just off the back of three years in Europe and it now sounds as though you’re talking about West Ham as a regular European team which is a big compliment, thank you very much.”
Palace sealed back-to-back wins for the first time this season after their 1-0 triumph at Liverpool and a third for boss Oliver Glasner since he replaced Roy Hodgson in February.
Glasner pointed to the easing of the injury crisis that has plagued Palace all season as a key factor in their improvement, with Sunday’s victory still a rare chance to witness what the Eagles can be capable of when the influential Eze and Olise are both healthy.
He added: “That’s our first back-to-back win and this is our challenge: to keep this motivation high, to keep the way we want to play in offence and defence.
“Because you always have to be concentrated, stay in your position, move the ball quick so that they don’t get the ball and this always starts in your mind if you are focused and concentrated.”
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