What the papers say: Nottingham Forest v Burnley

Callum Hudson-Odoi’s stunning goal on his debut saw Nottingham Forest draw 1-1 with Burnley at the City Ground last night. Here’s what the national newspapers had to say

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The Guardian

Burnley may have registered their first point of the season with this draw at Nottingham Forest to avoid the ignominy of a fourth straight league defeat but they will feel aggrieved at not claiming victory after Lyle Foster’s second-half goal was controversially ruled out after a VAR review. To compound things Foster was sent off via the video screen in stoppage time for elbowing Ryan Yates.

The Burnley substitute Sander Berge was deemed to have used his forearm to control the ball before Foster converted his cutback from the edge of the six-yard box. The ball bounced off the top of Berge’s left arm as he kept Scott McKenna at bay but, tellingly, the Forest defender made no complaint to the referee, Robert Jones, as Foster wheeled away in celebration.

McKenna had made a hash of a pass over the top of the Forest defence, ending up on all fours after slipping and presenting Berge with the chance to pile into the box and pass to Foster, who swept the ball in from close range. But as soon as the referee headed for the VAR monitor there was a groundswell of cheers from the home support.

The Times

Of all the money Nottingham Forest have spent in the past two transfer windows, the £3 million they parted with for Callum Hudson-Odoi could be their most savvy move.

The winger arrived on deadline day and showed that despite his exile at Chelsea he still has Premier League quality, as his moment of magic salvaged a draw for Forest on his home debut for the club at the City Ground.

His magnificent second-half curling effort from outside the penalty area cancelled out Zeki Amdouni’s opener on an evening when Burnley were left feeling hard done by after being denied what they thought was a legitimate 90th-minute winner. Lyle Foster’s finish was ruled out after it was adjudged that Sander Berge had handled the ball in the build-up. It meant that Hudson-Odoi was the hero for Forest after Burnley’s back line had frustrated them in the first half.

The Telegraph

The career of Callum Hudson-Odoi has hit the pause button in recent years but here was a spectacular reminder of how he burst onto the scene as a teenager.

Taking the ball inside the penalty area, the England international curled a wonderful shot in off the post to register a fine start to this new chapter.

Hudson-Odoi was persuaded to leave Chelsea this summer by Steve Cooper, his former England coach, and it is a relationship which Nottingham Forest hope will help the winger to flourish. He is still only 22, and for a transfer fee of just £3m he could prove one of the bargains of the season if he can rebuild his reputation.

Hudson-Odoi’s contribution shifted the focus momentarily away from another winger, Burnley’s Luca Koleosho, who already appears a brilliant prospect. Koleosho was signed this summer from Espanyol for just £2.6m and the 19-year-old produced an excellent performance which will give Forest defender Gonzalo Montiel sleepless nights.

The Mail

After feeling they were cursed by refereeing decisions, Nottingham Forest found themselves on the right side of a tight call that denied Burnley their first victory of the season.

Burnley thought they had clinched it late on when Lyle Foster tapped in from close range, only for the goal to be ruled out for handball by substitute Sander Berge in the build-up – after a VAR check. Foster was then shown a straight red card in stoppage time for an elbow on Forest sub Ryan Yates, prompting anti-Premier League chants from the Burnley fans. At least they are off the mark for the campaign, but Burnley will feel they should have edged it.

Referee Rob Jones was on VAR duty at Old Trafford last month when Forest felt they were given a raw deal by officials during their 3-2 defeat by Manchester United, but this time it was Burnley who would have felt aggrieved. Earlier, Callum Hudson-Odoi’s stunning equaliser on his Forest debut rescued a point for the home side after Zeki Amdouni had given the Clarets a first-half lead.

The Mirror

Craig Bellamy was left angered at the end of Burnley’s draw at Nottingham Forest after the Clarets were denied a first win of the season.

The Premier League new boys took the lead at the City Ground before they were pegged back in the second-half. Lyle Foster though he’d put Vincent Kompany’s side back in front with 13 minutes left when he slotted home after a cut back from Sander Berge.

VAR, though, intervened to highlight a possible handball by the Burnley midfielder with the visitors seeing the goal ruled out as a result. Bellamy was less than impressed at the final whistle as he went to vent at Robert Jones, as did Berge, who was seen in dialogue with the referee.