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Video Assistant Referee causes controversy every week in the Premier League, but how are decisions made, and are they correct?

After each weekend we take a look at the major incidents, to examine and explain the process both in terms of VAR protocol and the Laws of the Game.

In this week's VAR Review: Should Brentford's stoppage-time equaliser against Chelsea have been disallowed? Why was a Tottenham Hotspur goal at West Ham United ruled out? And should Wolverhampton Wanderers have been reduced to 10 men at Newcastle United?

Brentford 2-2 Chelsea

Possible offside: Ouattara on Carvalho goal

What happened: Brentford scored an equaliser three minutes into stoppage time when Fábio Carvalho guided the ball home after Kristoffer Ajer had flicked on Michael Kayode's long throw. As the players celebrated, the VAR, James Bell, checked for a possible offside offence within the move by Dango Ouattara.

VAR decision: Goal stands.

VAR review: This went under the radar amid the drama of Brentford's late goal, and many are probably unaware there was an offside check against Ouattara.

You can't be offside from a throw-in, but when Ajer touches the ball that creates a phase and Ouattara was just ahead of Chelsea defender Reece James. Ouattara didn't touch the ball, so it was a subjective judgement for the VAR to determine impact.

Ouattara can't commit an offence by his position alone. He's not blocking the vision of James, and doesn't run across the line of the ball. But the law does say that a player cannot be "clearly attempting to play a ball which is close when this action impacts on an opponent."

Ouattara stuck out a leg as the ball went through to Carvalho, so one part of the clause is satisfied. But did that impact James?

The on-field team told the VAR that they knew Ouattara was offside, but they didn't feel he did anything to trigger an offence so the goal was given.

Verdict: It will split opinion, and it depends how you weigh up one crucial aspect; the ball was past Ouattara and in front of James when the Brentford player made an attempt to touch the ball, does that create enough of an impact on the defender for VAR to intervene?

Had Ouattara tried to play the ball immediately as it went past him, thus influencing James' calculation of the flight of the ball, it's a much clearer offside offence.

As Ouattara made a late movement, it created doubt over the level of impact with James fully focused on the ball and failing to make contact.

While it might have seemed like a quick check, it did take 1 minute 28 seconds -- a little longer than the jubilant goal celebration. When the television coverage switched to the VAR output, you could see that Bell was weighing up the timing of Ouattara's movement.

Depending on who was on VAR duty you could get a different outcome. It's one of the over-riding issues with VAR, because it's just another layer of subjective interpretation and referees won't always agree. Likewise, fans can argue about this interpretation -- and neither side would be incorrect in their view.

VAR interventions to rule out goals when the attacker isn't in contact with a defender are rare. Last season, it happened only once, in Nottingham Forest vs. Southampton, and that was logged as an error by the Premier League's Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel. An offside Chris Wood tried to head the ball and the VAR, Graham Scott, incorrectly advised that he had impacted the defenders.

We also have evidence of the VAR leaving such a situation alone. In January 2022, an offside Roberto Firmino, who was being marked by Tyrick Mitchell, jumped to head a cross, missed it and the ball went to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who scored. The VAR determined that the Liverpool forward didn't impact upon Mitchell, as the Crystal Palace defender had no chance of playing the ball. It was a slightly different situation, but it shows how an offside player "clearly attempting to play a ball" can be deemed to have no impact. (watch here)

This is far more likely to be given on the field and upheld, even when that seems harsh -- Southampton's disallowed goal vs. Brighton last season being a perfect example.

PGMO will be content that the goal has been allowed to stand. After all, it's caused very little controversy -- and that may have been very different had the goal been chalked off.

Both outcomes are justifiable, so leaving this with the on-field call is fine.

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

Possible goal: Foul challenge by Van de Ven on Walker-Peters

What happened: Tottenham Hotspur won a corner in the 19th minute. It was delivered into the area by Mohammed Kudus, with Cristian Romero rising unmarked to head into the net at the near post. However, referee Jarred Gillett immediately blew for a foul, ruling that Kyle Walker-Peters had been pushed by Micky van de Ven. It was looked at the VAR, John Brooks.

VAR decision: No goal.

VAR review: This was an exceptionally soft free kick given by the on-field referee, and upheld by the VAR because Van de Ven had two hands on Walker-Peters.

Van de Ven did move into Walker-Peters and placed his hands on him, causing the West Ham United player to stumble over Romero, but it wasn't quite so simple.

The chain reaction was caused by Hammers midfielder Mateus Fernandes, who was angered by an initial tussle with Van de Ven and barged into the back of the Spurs player. This knocked Van de Ven into Walker-Peters, and caused Walker-Peters to go down.

So you can argue this was caused by Fernandes, and Van de Ven was an innocent bystander.

Verdict: "Honestly the referees & VAR have had an absolute shocker of a start to the season," Spurs midfielder James Maddison wrote on X on Saturday evening. "If that goal is disallowed for a foul you will never ever see a corner be taken without referee blowing for something ever again."

It was classic footballers' hyperbole from Maddison, because soft free kicks are given on set pieces all the time -- it's just that they are usually called without the ball ending up in the back of the net.

And if we look at the evidence, VAR's ignoring these decisions in the Premier League is nothing new. We're into the sixth season of VAR, and in that time just one goal has been awarded after an incorrect foul on the pitch -- when Newcastle United's Bruno Guimarães was initially penalised for a foul on Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel in April 2022.

Over the same period, the VAR has advised that 40 goals should be disallowed on review for a foul. It's near impossible to get a goal awarded, but VAR's will step in to give a foul several times a season.

Supporters get annoyed because among that 40 they see the VAR chalking off goals for minimal infringements (see Josh King's goal for Fulham at Chelsea before the international break), but it never falls the other way with referees almost always supported when they disallow a goal. The high threshold sees perfectly good goals that stay ruled out, because so much weight is put on the on-field decision.

Last month, Brentford had a goal ruled out by the referee against Aston Villa when Nathan Collins was judged to have fouled goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. It was incredibly soft, with the KMI Panel voting 5-0 that it should be a goal on the field, but 4-1 that it didn't reach the threshold for an intervention.

There's another obvious comparison to Manchester United's Leny Yoro getting away with putting two hands in the back of Fulham's Calvin Bassey -- with the on-field decision of goal being upheld. This time the KMI Panel voted 3-2 that it was a foul, but 4-1 that it shouldn't be changed on review.

Possible penalty: Challenge by Fernandes on Van de Ven

What happened: Tottenham won eight corners in the first half, and each had a fair amount of pushing and shoving involved. On this set piece, Fernandes and Van de Ven both went to ground at the back post but referee Gillett allowed play to continue.

VAR decision: No penalty.

VAR review: Premier League referees and VARs have been told to clamp down on clear examples of holding this season, but it's still an interpretation of several factors.

The referee has decided that the two players were involved in mutual holding, and it was eventually Van de Ven that pulled down the West Ham player -- but it's not difficult to come to a different conclusion.

Fernandes has his back to the play and no interest in playing the ball, and that's an indicator of a non-football action which should result in a penalty.

Verdict: If there's mutual holding, this will always carry weight with the VAR but Fernandes was very fortunate and it was probably just below the threshold for an intervention.

For supporters, though, it will seem strange that a nothing foul to disallow a goal is upheld, but this kind of holding offence isn't penalised.

Before the international break, Brentford wanted a penalty for a foul by Sunderland's Reinildo Mandava on Nathan Collins, but the VAR didn't step in. The KMI Panel voted 5-0 that this was an on-field penalty, but it was split 3-2 against a VAR review -- this situation probably falls into that same category.

Possible red-card overturn: Foul by Soucek on Palhinha

What happened: João Palhinha was caught by a high challenge from Tomás Soucek in the 54th minute, with referee Gillett immediately producing the red card. It was checked by the VAR. (watch here)

VAR decision: Red card stands.

VAR review: A very clear red card for the West Ham midfielder. He went into the challenge with a raised foot, with studs leading and a straight leg which made contact on Palhinha's shin -- ripping his sock.

A straight leg is seen as more dangerous as there is no give in the challenge, meaning the whole force of the contact is felt by the opponent. With a bent leg, this can be judged as less impactful as the force is retracted.

Verdict: After a season when Premier League referees came in for a lot of criticism for poor identification of serious foul play offences, leading to three missed VAR interventions for red cards, two more which should have been given on-field and a record number (four) of dismissals overturned on appeal, it's only fair to identify good decision making.

Likewise, you can point to the VAR intervention to show a red card to Newcastle's Anthony Gordon vs. Liverpool, with Brooks on VAR for that match, too.

Newcastle 1-0 Wolves

Possible DOGSO: Mosquera challenge on Barnes

What happened: Harvey Barnes ran onto a ball over the top in the 20th minute, but went to ground under pressure from Yerson Mosquera. Referee Chris Kavanagh wasn't interested in a foul, and allowed played to continue. The VAR, Tim Wood, considered a possible case of denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO). (watch here)

VAR decision: No red card.

VAR review: The potential foul happened just outside the penalty area, so the VAR can only consider a red card for DOGSO.

Had Kavanagh given the free kick against Mosquera, the VAR would only be deciding upon the quality of the goal-scoring opportunity. But Wood is left with two subjective calculations -- both the foul and DOGSO.

Verdict: Wood has decided this was just two players jostling for possession and that Barnes was not in control of the ball, but Mosquera appeared to lead with his arm into the head of Barnes -- and that's more than just a normal battle for the ball.

It may appear that the ball ran to goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, and away from Barnes, but that only happened because it came off the chest of Mosquera as he fell to the ground. That has to be removed from the consideration, so we have the ball dropping into the path of Barnes.

Barnes may not have control of the ball at the moment of the challenge, but the DOGSO law also considers the likelihood of him doing so -- and it was directly in front of him with the immediate chance of a touch and a shot.

If you think this was foul, and it was, then the boxes are ticked for a red card. By making the challenge on Barnes with a high arm, it should have been a foul and a VAR intervention.

Burnley 0-1 Liverpool

Possible red card: Foul by Ugochukwu on Mac Allister

What happened: Lesley Ugochukwu was shown a yellow card by referee Michael Oliver for a late challenge on Alexis Mac Allister in the 16th minute. It was checked by the VAR, Paul Tierney, for a possible red card for serious foul play. (watch here)

VAR decision: No red card.

VAR review: There's a set of considerations, influenced by each other, that a VAR uses to determine serious foul play. This decision is a good example of how these factors have to be weighed up together.

High up on the list is the buckle of the ankle, as that indicates a higher level of force. That's present here, so why wasn't the referee sent to the monitor?

As the contact by Ugochukwu was low and just above the boot, there's a greater likelihood that the challenge could cause the buckle. Contact on the shin with a buckle, it's a more reliable indicator of force. So, other factors are equally as important.

Ugochukwu comes in from a very short distance, suggesting lower force, and it's reckless rather than endangering the safety of an opponent.

Verdict: Tierney has had issues with identifying serious foul play in recent seasons but this can be considered an "orange" card, somewhere between a yellow and a red, and we shouldn't expect it to be upgraded on review.

Possible penalty overturn: Handball by Hannibal

What happened: Liverpool were awarded a penalty in the third minute of stoppage time when the cross from Jeremie Frimpong was blocked by the arm of Hannibal Mejbri. Referee Oliver pointed to the spot, and it was checked by the VAR.

VAR decision: Penalty stands, scored by Mohammed Salah.

VAR review: Hannibal turned and raised his arm into the path of the ball, creating a very clear barrier. It's an obvious penalty, and the Burnley player knew it.

Verdict: Last season, only two handball penalties were awarded without VAR intervention. This season, there's already been five and we're only 40 games in.

Possible disallowed penalty: Encroaching by Frimpong

What happened: Salah scored Liverpool's winning goal from the penalty spot in the 95th minute, but Frimpong was already inside the area when the kick was taken. Should there have been a retake?

VAR decision: Goal stands.

VAR review: VAR has always been about judging impact to cause an intervention. When the protocol around penalties and encroaching was drawn up, it was decided that the VAR shouldn't intervene in if a player had just stepped into the area too early -- they must have a material effect on the outcome by, for instance, scoring or clearing a rebound.

Yet it was effectively a two-tier law, as encroachment still remained an absolute offence (though rarely enforced) for the on-field team at all levels of the game. So on that basis, the actions of Frimpong could be penalised.

But the law was changed in the summer to bring everything in line with VAR protocol -- Frimpong being inside the area is no longer a retake offence for the referee and his assistants either.

Frimpong could still commit an offence by entering the area too early, but it would need to be very obvious and put off the goalkeeper -- and that's very unlikely to happen.

Bournemouth 2-1 Brighton

Possible penalty overturn: foul by Van Hecke on Evanilson

What happened: Evanilson moved into the area in the 59th minute, and as he looked to cut back inside he went down under a challenge from Jan Paul van Hecke. Referee Peter Bankes pointed to the spot, and it was checked by the VAR, Paul Howard.

VAR decision: Penalty stands, scored by Antoine Semenyo.

VAR review: Van Hecke dangled a leg out in front of Evanilson, and the AFC Bournemouth striker used the small amount of contact and goes to ground.

Verdict: There was only a small amount of contact, but once it's been given there's no prospect of a VAR overturn.

Before the international break, we saw a possible penalty situation which the KMI Panel logged as an error, one of three so far this season. Wolves wanted a spot kick for Hugo Bueno, who had stepped inside and went down after being caught by Everton's Iliman Ndiaye. It was a 3-2 vote that the VAR should have stepped in to advise a penalty.

Van Hecke isn't quite the same, but it shows some similarities with how the Brighton player was caught out by the movement of an opponent.

West Ham vs. Spurs (13 Sep, 2025) Live Score  ESPN

Graham Potter found himself back under pressure as Tottenham Hotspur returned to winning ways with a 3-0 London derby demolition of West Ham.

Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall and Micky van de Ven got the goals as Spurs, playing their first match since the departure of chairman Daniel Levy, bounced back from the 1-0 home defeat by Bournemouth a fortnight ago.

But for West Ham, any of the confidence garnered from their surprise 3-0 win at Nottingham Forest evaporated as, for the second home game in a row, they wilted in front of a London rival.

To rub salt in their wounds, they had Tomás Soucek sent off and are now without a win in their last seven home matches -- their worst run since moving to the London Stadium and a damning one which under-fire boss Potter needs to arrest quickly.

Yet again the unloved former Olympic Stadium was half empty long before the end, when even the constant booing of Mohammed Kudus -- the Ghana winger who joined Spurs from West Ham this summer -- had worn thin.

"The first half was even, we had good attacks, good moments, positives for us," said an increasingly under-pressure Potter.

"But in the second half we make a mistake for the first half goal, then a red card and the scoreline gets away from us, and it was a pretty uncomfortable second half.

"When the scoreline went away so quickly you can see it's an uncomfortable evening for us all. I felt for the supporters and the players. I understand the feeling. We have to deal with it and win."

Yet when Kudus gave the ball away in West Ham's half early on they almost scored on the counter, only for Lucas Paquetá to pull his shot wide.

Moments later Kudus briefly silenced the jeers when he swung in a corner which was headed home by Cristian Romero.

But referee Jarred Gillett spotted a shove in the box by Van de Ven on Kyle Walker-Peters and ruled out the goal with the VAR not seeing fit to intervene.

Tottenham's injured midfielder James Maddison was not impressed, writing on X: "Honestly the referees & VAR have had an absolute shocker of a start to the season.

"If that goal is disallowed for a foul you will never ever see a corner be taken without referee blowing for something ever again."

Frank added: "The disallowed goal is clearly a goal. A West Ham player pushes Micky into Kyle Walker-Peters. It's clearly a goal that needs to stand."

Corners quickly became the recurring theme of the first half, as three of the goals West Ham keeper Mads Hermansen conceded in the 5-1 home drubbing by Chelsea came from them.

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Spurs clearly knew it, as every one of the eight they forced in the first half were curled right under his crossbar.

West Ham somehow survived the bombardment until half-time -- but it only took 100 seconds of the second half for them to concede a fifth goal from a corner this season, Sarr unmarked as he headed home at the far post.

When Soucek was shown a straight red card for a studs-up foul on Joao Paulinha, West Ham quickly unravelled.

Barely a minute later Romero's long ball caught them cold and Bergvall guided a superb header over the stranded Hermansen.

Bergvall laid on a third for Van de Ven to lash home, prompting a familiar exodus from the home fans and leaving Potter with plenty still to ponder.

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank has acknowledged even he did not expect Daniel Levy's departure but has praised the "foundations" laid by the former chairman.

Levy stepped down from his role as Spurs chairman last week after being invited to leave the position he had held since 2001 by majority owners ENIC, which is owned by the Lewis family trust.

It was a shock move given Levy's longevity at the club and Frank pointed to some of the biggest projects overseen by the 63-year-old in terms of the club's state-of-the-art Hotspur Way training ground and world-class Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as his legacy.

"I would say I don't think anyone expected it but a decision is made and we move forward," Frank reflected ahead of Saturday's trip to West Ham.

"Daniel deserves massive praise. He has been here 24 years, must be one of longest chairman that's been in the Premier League ever.

"The things he's built, the success he's been a massive part of, you can't praise enough and two big things is he has laid foundations for the future in terms of this fantastic training centre and the stadium.

"Both of them are at a level where we can compete with big clubs for the future."

A source close to the Lewis family told PA last week: "Generations of the Lewis family support this special football club and they want what the fans want -- more wins more often."

Frank, chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and new non-executive chairman Peter Charrington were all name checked as "the right team to deliver" on the desire of the Lewis family to witness more on-field success at Tottenham.

Frank revealed he has spoken to Levy to say goodbye since his departure, but reiterated the commitment of majority owners ENIC.

He said: "Yes, I've spoken to him and of course known Daniel but only known him the last three months.

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"Of course I spent more time with him but it's been brief. I said thank you because it was not only him appointing me but he had the decisive words and I will always be appreciative of that.

"It is not a new ownership, it is the same ownership but it's just the majority shareholders have more influence. They are very committed to the club and want to build something for the future. The main thing I can do is focus on my job now and that is West Ham tomorrow."

Tottenham Hotspur's first game after the first international break sees them travel to the London Stadium to face West Ham United on Saturday evening, with both sides having gone into the international break in contrasting fashion.

After two damaging losses in their opening two games -- against Sunderland and Chelsea -- West Ham produced a superb away performance to beat Nottingham Forest in their last game, somewhat easing the pressure on Graham Potter. Post that win, West Ham added Brighton centre-back Igor Julio to their ranks, in a loan move through to the end of the season. Perhaps, more importantly, they have kept hold of Lucas Paqueta, who has had a good start to the season.

Tottenham had also had an excellent start to the season, with wins over Burnley and Manchester City, but put out an uninspiring, insipid performance last time out, as they lost 1-0 to Bournemouth. In that game, it took Tottenham until the 68th minute to register their first shot on goal. It is that kind of inconsistency of performance levels that Thomas Frank will have to wipe out if Spurs are to vie for top honours this season.

Spurs have signed Randal Kolo Muani on loan from Paris Saint-Germain and Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig in an attempt to bolster their attacking ranks that have looked thin since the start of the season, following injuries to Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison.

How to watch:

The match will be available on Sky Sports in the U.K., NBC in the United States, Stan Sport in Australia, and JioHotstar in India. You can also follow ESPN's live updates.

Key Details:

Date: Saturday, September 13, 5:30 p.m. BST (12:30 p.m. ET; 10:00 p.m. IST and 2:30 a.m. AEST Sunday).

Venue: London Stadium, London.

Referee: Jarred Gillett.

VAR: John Brooks.

Team news:

West Ham United

Luis Guilherme, F: broken collarbone, OUT

Tottenham Hotspur

James Maddison, M: ACL, OUT, est. return mid-February

Dejan Kulusevski, M: knee, OUT, est. return early November

Radu Dragusin, D: ACL, OUT, est. return mid-October

Dominic Solanke, F: ankle, DOUBT

Kota Takai, D: foot, DOUBT

Expected Lineups:

West Ham (4-2-3-1)

GK: Alphonse Areola

RB: Aaron Wan-Bissaka | CB: Konstantinos Mavropanos | CB: Max Kilman | LB: El-Hadji Malick Diouf

CDM: James Ward-Prowse | CDM: Tomas Soucek

RW: Jarrod Bowen | CAM: Lucas Paqueta | LW: Mateus Fernandes

CF: Niclas Fullkrug

Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1)

GK: Guglielmo Vicario

RB: Pedro Porro | CB: Cristian Romero | CB: Micky van de Ven | LB: Djed Spence

CDM: Rodrigo Bentancur | CDM: Joao Palhinha

RW: Mohammed Kudus | CAM: Pape Matar Sarr | LW: Brennan Johnson

CF: Richarlison

Stats:

West Ham have won just one of their last seven Premier League matches against Spurs.

Each of the last three Premier League meetings between West Ham and Spurs at the London Stadium has ended in a 1-1 draw.

Spurs have lost 10 of their last 16 London derbies in the Premier League.

Jarrod Bowen has had a hand in nine Premier League goals, with six goals and three assists, in his last nine appearances.

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Ange Postecoglou has been bullish in the past on his track record of lifting trophies, and he continued that trend at his unveiling as Nottingham Forest manager.

Postecoglou has replaced Nuno Espirito Santo at Forest just three games into the Premier League season. It is his first job since he was sacked at Tottenham Hotspur last season despite lifting the Europa League title -- the club's first trophy in 17 years.

The Australian coach will get the chance to coach in the Europa League again this season -- Forest had qualified for the third-tier Conference League but were promoted due to Crystal Palace failing ownership rules.

The 60-year-old famously claimed that he always wins a trophy in his second season when at Spurs, but joked he might have to deliver sooner under a fiercly ambitious owner, Evangelos Marinakis.

"I have won a couple in my first as well, at Celtic I won a double in my first," he said. "Of course I can, I may have to [win a trophy in first season] to get a second year here.

"I've said it already, that's what I want to do. I want to win trophies. That's that's what I've done my whole career, and that's what I want to try and do here.

"Every club wants to be successful, but since the president took over the club those ambitions are backed up with actions. Perfect conditions for me."

Postecoglou will have to navigate a relationship with Marinakis, who quickly soured on Nuno despite delivering the club's best season in a generation last term.

When asked about the club's owner, Postecoglou said: "I've only met him a few times, and I just said yes to him.

"I think people who have the kind of existence that he's had, it's very hard for us to relate to. Like I said the one thing about him that people can't deny is that he's taken over this football club with the right intentions.

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"It's not a vehicle for people to find out who he is or thrust himself into the spotlight. He wants to have a team who wins things.

"It's not easier but you can go into London, buy one of the big teams and you're guaranteed success.

"I love the fact that he's taken a club with a fantastic history but they're in the Championship. He's taken them into Europe. There's some real merit there and that tells you a lot about the kind of person he is."

Postecoglou also revealed that he "knew" his Spurs reign would not last beyond the Europa League final.

When asked about his Spurs exit, Postecoglou said: "It wasn't great, I knew it was coming so it wasn't a surprise ... I knew it was coming a fair way before the final.

"We won it and we had the parade so it was a great three days and I didn't want it to tarnish that but after that I kind of knew it was done. From my perspective you have a chance to process that."

"We put the Spurs supporters through some tough times but there isn't a Spurs fan that I have come across that doesn't want hug me and take me home for dinner, so I must have done something right!" Postecoglou said.

"I think ultimately that's what we do it for. I'm very proud of what we achieved there and it will always take a special place in my heart."

Postecoglou's first game in charge of Forest coincidentally comes at the home of Spurs' north London rivals, Arsenal, on Saturday.

Information from the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has said he would "take out" the Premier League's handball rule as "it's not right" while also suggesting adding a timeout to each half.

The handball rule has been a prominent talking point from the Premier League's opening weeks with Bournemouth's Marcos Senesi involved in an incident just 13 minutes into the new season against Liverpool.

Nottingham Forest vs. Brentford and Arsenal vs. Manchester United are fixtures this season that have also contained video assistant referee (VAR) decisions on handball offences and non-offences.

And Frank believes the rule itself needs to be changed to make the game fairer.

"I would take out the handball rule as for me it's not right," Frank told BetMGM.

"If there's a handball and it touches your arm in the penalty area, you are giving the biggest chance to the opponent just because it 'touches' your arm.

"Of course, if you're standing on the goalline and you try to save it like a goalkeeper in the old days that's different but I simply don't understand how if it just touches a player's arm, and it touches their arm in certain areas, it gives the opportunity for the biggest chance in the game.

"It's a rule that has to be changed to improve the game and make it fairer."

The Dane also spoke about the potential coaching benefits timeouts could have in Premier League games.

"I'd have a timeout in each half," the 51-year-old said.

"From a coaching perspective, I think it would be lovely to have an opportunity during the game to speak to the players and be able to adjust something."

Meanwhile, Spurs' new coach admitted that he has been pleased with his side's start to the campaign that has seen them record two wins, including a victory over Manchester City, before a 1-0 defeat at home to Bournemouth ahead of the September international break.

"I think it's been a good start to the season so far -- I've been really pleased with how the players have approached things since I've come into the football club," Frank said.

"We've played three games in the Premier League and one in the UEFA Super Cup and I've been happy with three of the performances. We weren't good enough against Bournemouth but overall from where we started to where we are now, I'm satisfied.

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"I'm never super, super satisfied unless we have won every game and performed to a really high level -- but it's been a good and positive start, which, for me, is the main thing."

In terms of what success for his side looks like in his first season at the club, Frank said he wants to build a strong foundation to get Spurs to where they want to be.

"Success this season is building something that is sustainable and strong. I want us to consistently perform at our highest level each and every game.

"If we can do that we will win enough games to get us into a place where we want to be, so that's the aim.

In the end, Ange Postecoglou's time out of the Premier League has lasted all of three months, with the 60-year-old quickly appointed as the new manager of Nottingham Forest following the sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo. ESPN sources say the contract runs through to 2027.

Just three games into the new season, the Australian is back in the English top flight, and the former Tottenham Hotspur coach will be in the dugout when his new side travels to the Emirates to face Arsenal on Saturday.

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Does that mean Forest can be penciled in for a trophy in the 2026-27 season, continuing a habit of winning trophies in his second season? That was made immortal by his delivery of a Europa League title to Spurs last season. At this stage you almost underestimate Postecoglou at your own peril, given most would have thought he wasn't being serious when he declared, following a 1-0 north London derby defeat last season, that "I'll correct myself -- I don't usually win things, I always win things in my second year."

But there's certainly a level of risk in the union between the manager, his new club, and owner Evangelos Marinakis, who moved to axe Nuno during the international break. And given that Postecoglou is not one to back down when it comes to his self-belief and approach to football, it's something that could come to a head long before it reaches the end of a sophomore campaign.

For one thing, Postecoglou will need to quickly come to grips with a squad that has been built around playing a risk-averse, counter-attacking style of football that stands as an almost polar opposite of his preferred approach -- one which saw Tottenham have the second and fifth most possession in the English top flight during two years in London. At the same time, Forest had the second and third fewest in the league.

Forest's players have spent an entire preseason preparing to play with an approach that brought them significant success last season, on a team and individual level, including a place in the Europa League, but now they'll likely be asked to do something completely different -- "Angeball." And there won't be a transfer window to bring in suitable stylistic reinforcements until January.

Admittedly, amidst a wave of injuries and with a trophy agonizingly close, there was a shift towards a more pragmatic approach towards the end of Postecoglou's tenure at Spurs. Utilizing a horses-for-courses mindset and continuing this approach until new signings arrive can't be totally discounted. But there was a sense that he had unfinished business in the Premier League -- particularly the suggestions that, in Thomas Frank, Spurs had replaced naivety with a proper manager with proper tactics -- and it feels likely that he'll try, at least initially, to do things his way.

And for supporters, the fear will be that his way will fail to deliver any kind of silverware but will repeat a downturn in league form that saw Spurs finish 17th last season. Just as Spurs were that campaign, Forest will be tasked with league, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Europa League commitments this season. Postecoglou, and the fans, need only look back to last season to see what kind of challenges can be presented by such a logjam of fixtures -- especially if you don't have all the pieces you need to play the high-octane, all-or-nothing approach likely to be implemented.

And if things don't start well, there's always the threat of sudden change in the dugout from Marinaki who, after Nuno's sacking, has now gone through seven permanent managers and a further three caretakers at Forest -- in addition to the 16 coaches during 14 years as the owner of Greek side Olympiacos.

Even without the threat of the axe, Postecoglou doesn't come across as the type of coach who would react well to being given an on-field dressing down by his owner, as Marinakis did to Nuno following a 2-2 Premier League draw with Leicester City at the end of last season, despite that result sealing European football for the first time in 29 years. For Marinakis, the carrot of a place in the Champions League was no longer being dangled after those two points were dropped.

But perhaps he has a leg up here, given that the Forest owner is seemingly a long-standing admirer. Born in Greece before arriving in Australia as a young refugee, Postecoglou plans to retire in the land of his birth and speaks with pride of his Hellenic heritage -- his footballing upbringing in Australia taking place at South Melbourne Hellas and having previously coached at Panachaiki in the Greek lower divisions. In July, he was presented with an award by Marinakis at the launch of the new Greek Super League season, lavished with praise by his soon-to-be boss.

"What I want to say about Ange is that he has spoken about Greece many times, he is proud to be Greek, and in the great success he had with Tottenham by winning the Europa League, he spoke about Greece," Marinakis said.

"A man who not only does not hide his origin but is also proud of it. What he achieved, he did with a team that has not won any titles; it has had a very difficult time in recent years. In this huge success that the whole world saw, he promoted Greece. We must thank him especially for this and we wish him well, although we are sure that he will do well as he has the ability."

Even discounting the analysis of his exit from Spurs, Postecoglou will also feel as though he's got a point to prove at the City Ground. The end of his time in north London was the first time he'd hadn't left a job on his own terms since he was sacked as the coach of Australia's under-20 and under-17 sides in 2007.

The history that Forest possesses as two-time European champions would have also appealed, as will the community that surrounds the club and the opportunity to play a role in helping restore them to some semblance of their former glory. Much of his time at Tottenham featured rhetoric centred on changing the narrative and restoring sustained success.

And despite the stylistic clash, he's not walking into a club left in ruins. Nuno's departure, a 3-0 loss to West Ham United in their last fixture notwithstanding, was much more related to a breakdown in his relationship with Marinakis and Forest's new head of global football, Edu.

After being guided to a seventh-place finish by the Portuguese last season, it's a side coming off their best Premier League finish since Frank Clark led a newly promoted outfit to a third-place finish in 1994-95. They've spent close to £200 million in the summer window, as well as seeing off Spurs' interest in Morgan Gibbs-White. There's talent stockpiled at Forest and everywhere he's gone in his career, Postecoglou has found a way to not only engender a fierce sense of loyalty but also make his players better.

In July, one of the remarks Marinakis made about Postecoglou was: "Wherever he goes, the successes will come." It's a line made glaringly noteworthy with hindsight. Now, starting with Arsenal on Saturday, Postecoglou is tasked with meeting those expectations.

England captain Harry Kane has responded to Michael Owen's claim that the striker was "nuts" for joining Bayern Munich two years ago when he had the Premier League goalscoring record in view.

Kane has been one of many victims of an outspoken Owen who made the statement during an interview with Rio Ferdinand, but the former Tottenham Hotspur striker took a diplomatic view, insisting his move to Germany was also about playing at the highest level.

"I heard it. Everyone is entitled to their opinion," Kane said. "I've spent a bit of time with him [Owen] but don't know him well. Obviously he is a Premier League great and an England great as well so I'll respect him as a person.

"But ultimately, as he will know, everyone's career is different -- everyone's decisions and motivations are different.

"I know he was insinuating I went just for the trophy but it was to be at the highest level for as long as possible and I'm really happy in that sense of playing big games, title runs, big Champions League matches, Club World Cup quarterfinal.

"I feel I'm improving as a player, I'm pushing my limits as a player in terms of goalscoring and just improving.

"It's hard not to hear things these days but the decisions are best for me and I'm really happy that I made that decision and very happy at Bayern Munich now."

Spurs' record goalscorer Kane also paid tribute to "fantastic chairman" Daniel Levy following his exit from the club.

Levy is understood to have been asked to stand down from his position last week following a review of operations at the north London club, ending a 24-year stint in charge.

Kane, who came through the ranks at Spurs, saw first hand how Levy transformed the club off the pitch with the building of their new stadium and unrivalled training ground.

But he also witnessed the other side as he was part of a title-challenging team which Levy chose not to strengthen in 2018, while also falling foul of one of football's most notoriously difficult negotiators when trying -- and failing -- to leave for Manchester City in the summer of 2021.

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The 32-year-old eventually got a move to Bayern Munich in 2023 and is surprised that Levy's time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is over.

"Obviously, it's a bit of a surprise, if I'm honest," he said. "I didn't expect it, didn't see that coming.

"Daniel has been a fantastic chairman for Tottenham in the 20 years or so he's been there. Considering where the club was and where it is now, I think it's been a big change, not just on the pitch, but off the pitch as well.

"At any stage there's always going to be change in clubs, and change in the higher positions. Obviously I don't know too much about why or what happened. All I can say is I wish Daniel all the best in whatever's next for him."

Nottingham Forest have appointed Ange Postecoglou as their new manager, the club confirmed on Tuesday.

Postecoglou replaces Nuno Espirito Santo, who was sacked by Forest on Monday.

Sources have told ESPN Postecoglou has signed a deal through to June 2027.

It is Postecoglou's first job since he was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur in June. He spent two seasons at Spurs, winning the UEFA Europa League in May, the club's first trophy in 17 years.

Postecoglou will oversee Forest's match against Arsenal on Saturday at the Emirates Stadium.

"We are bringing a coach to the club who has a proven and consistent record of winning trophies," Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis said in a statement.

"His experience of coaching teams at the highest level, along with his desire to build something special with us at Forest, makes him a fantastic person to help us on our journey and achieve consistently all our ambitions."

Nuno's exit from Forest was abrupt, and came just three games into the new season.

He led Forest to a seventh-place in the Premier League last season as they qualified for European football for the first time since 1996.

The club were promoted to the Europa League following Crystal Palace's demotion to the UEFA Conference League due to multi-club ownership (MCO) rules.

Sources have told ESPN Nuno fell out with Forest's head of global football Edu Gaspar, while his relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis also grew increasingly strained despite having signed a new three-year deal in June.

Doubt was cast over Nuno's future earlier in the season when he said he was "not close" with Marinakis, and that their "relationship had changed."

"Where there's smoke, there's fire, so I know how things work, but I'm here to do my job," Nuno said at the time.

For Postecoglou, the job will end his three-month break from the game.

During his two-season spell with Spurs, he led them to fifth in the Premier League in 2023-24, before they finished 17th last term.

That disappointment was offset by their European run where they won the Europa League, beating Manchester United 1-0 in the final.

But, 16 days after that triumph in Bilbao, Postecoglou was dismissed.

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"After gaining promotion to the Premier League, then building consistently season after season to secure European football, we now must take the right step to compete with the very best and challenge for trophies," Marinakis said.

"Ange has the credentials and the track-record to do this, and we are excited he is joining us on our ambitious journey."

Postecoglou brings a wealth of experience to Forest having coached in Australia, before taking charge of the Socceroos from 2013-2017.

He then coached in Japan, managing Yokohama F. Marinos, before moving to Celtic where he enjoyed a successful two-season spell from 2021 to 2023.

Then came the move to Tottenham and now he's swapped north London for the City Ground.