Ivan Toney marks return with yet another controversy

Brentford star Ivan Toney has marked his return to the Premier League with yet another controversy. The 27-year-old played his first game on Saturday following the completion of his eight-month ban.

Brentford snapped a seven-game winless run to beat Nottingham Forest 3-2 on Saturday.

The striker could clearly be seen twice moving the ball away from the spot where referee Darren England had marked the free-kick to be taken to a more favourable position.

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According to Premier League’s rules, the goal should have been classed as a ‘serious missed incident’.

And Nottingham Forest had on Sunday complained to the referees’ governing body over their decision making.

Their complaint concerns Brentford’s opening goal from their 3-2 win over Forest on Saturday. The goal came courtesy of Toney’s free-kick.

Forest on Sunday became the latest side to have officially complained to the referees’ governing body over their decision making.

The gesture from the Garibaldi meanwhile did not sit well England legend Gary Neville. The former defender wasted no time in blasting Forest’s behaviour. The former Manchester United captain further blasted all Premier League clubs writing to the PGMOL. Such clubs include Arsenal and Liverpool, labelling them ’embarrassing’

The 2023/24 season has been riddled with controversial moments surrounding referees decisions. This has left several clubs making official complaints to the Premier League and the PGMOL.

Liverpool complained after they were denied a perfectly legal goal in their defeat to Tottenham in September, which lead to the PGMOL beginning to release the audio for certain contentious incidents.

Arsenal also recently wrote in regarding the treatment of Bukayo Saka who is one of the most fouled players in the top-flight.

Neville believes that this course of action will not improve matters at all however, writing on Twitter: ‘Clubs writing to the PGMOL is embarrassing!

‘Liverpool and Arsenal started it and set the precedent of this nonsense.

‘The refs should be doing better and are under enormous pressure at the moment. It’s in the clubs interests to work with them to make them improve.

‘This public posturing is unnecessary. Speak to them and email them to gain clarification in private but they don’t have to “announce” they’ve written to the PGMOL.

‘It’s not going to change the decision and it’s not going to help anyone! It just adds to the pile on.’