The Premier League’s own panel of experts has now settled the debate over one of the season’s most contentious refereeing calls — and their conclusion will frustrate fans on both sides

The controversy surrounding Nottingham Forest’s penalty against Liverpool has finally been put to rest — and the verdict is far more nuanced than anyone expected.

The Official Ruling

The Premier League’s Key Match Incidents Panel has confirmed that referee Sam Barrott was wrong to award Forest a penalty for Alisson’s challenge on Neco Williams. However, in a crucial twist, the panel also concluded that the decision didn’t meet the threshold required for VAR intervention — meaning Michael Oliver was correct not to send Barrott to the pitchside monitor to review it.

In other words: the wrong call was made on the pitch, but the officials watching from Stockley Park did nothing wrong by letting it stand.

How the Incident Unfolded

The controversy stemmed from the 68th minute, when Williams was brought down by Alisson shortly after releasing a shot on goal. Barrott pointed to the spot, and Morgan Gibbs-White stepped up to convert, putting Forest 2-1 ahead. Liverpool eventually salvaged a point through Victor Munoz’s equaliser in the 82nd minute, with the match finishing 2-2.

A Genuinely Split Verdict From the Panel

What makes this ruling particularly interesting is just how close the panel’s vote actually was. On the question of whether the penalty itself should have been given, the panel split 3-2 in favour of ruling it incorrect. However, when it came to assessing whether VAR should have stepped in to overturn it, the panel was unanimous — voting 5-0 in support of the VAR’s decision not to intervene.

This distinction exists because VAR interventions require a significantly higher threshold than a standard on-field decision — meaning it’s entirely possible, and indeed expected, for the panel to reach different conclusions on each question.

The Reasoning Behind the Decision

Explaining their verdict, the KMI Panel stated: “The contact from Alisson was inevitable as a consequence of his momentum in attempting to save the ball. The contact made was not reckless and below the threshold for a penalty.

“However, the non intervention by the VAR was unanimously supported on the basis that it was not a clear and obvious error.”

What This Means Going Forward

For Liverpool, this ruling offers some vindication — official confirmation that Forest’s penalty shouldn’t have stood, even if there’s no way to retrospectively change the result. For Forest, meanwhile, it’s a reminder of just how fine the margins are under the current handball and penalty framework, where an “incorrect” on-field call can still stand simply because it doesn’t clear VAR’s higher bar for intervention.

Either way, this latest KMI Panel ruling only adds to the growing conversation this season about exactly where that VAR threshold should sit — and how many contentious decisions are being allowed to stand simply because they aren’t deemed “clear and obvious” enough to overturn.