Dyche described it as a 'bad day at the office' for the officials
Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche expressed frustration with the officials over several "bizarre" decisions in his side's late 2-1 defeat by City.
Dyche felt Rayan Cherki's 83rd-minute winner at the City Ground ought to have been ruled out for a foul on Morgan Gibbs-White prior to the shot.
He also thought that referee Rob Jones ought to have shown City defender Ruben Dias a second caution in the second half.
"In my view, it was such a simple game to officiate, a very straightforward call for VAR," Dyche stated.
"After performing so admirably, to have to discuss match officials influencing the result is frustrating - yet they undeniably did.
"Every supporter in the ground and every viewer at home witnessed it."
Should Cherki's winner have been ruled out?
Sean Dyche has won four of his nine Premier League games in charge of Nottingham Forest
Hovering just above the relegation zone, a point against an dominant City side would have moved Forest six points clear from the relegation places.
But Cherki crushed their hopes as he fired in a half-volley, blasting the ball from the edge of the box beyond Gibbs-White.
Forest players were instantly remonstrated to referee Jones, arguing that Gibbs-White had been knocked over by Nico O'Reilly and unable to blocking Cherki's strike.
"Morgan Gibbs-White is obviously shoved to the ground, and that very player then impedes the shot," Dyche commented.
"But he can't block it because as he jumps up, it goes through the bit of his body which he would have blocked it with. Whichever way you look at it it's a foul."
The VAR checked the goal, but in the end upheld Jones' on-field decision to stand.
Dyche added: "Their defense may be, 'The ball was elsewhere'. But then you ask, 'If you foul a goalkeeper when the ball is not close, would that be given?'.
"It's universally understood to be a foul. I am perplexed. To then concede from that sequence is a real double blow.
"I'm a big fan of VAR - I can't work out how you can't get that right."
The Forest player protested to the referee, insisting he was fouled prior to the winning strike
Ought Dias have been sent off?
Dyche was further angered about Jones' decision not to send Dias off.
The experienced defender received a booking for dissent in the first half, protesting about a decision against him after his challenge on Igor Jesus.
Straight after the restart, Dias brought down Igor Jesus again as the Forest forward was driving forward.
"They say it's an accident. If that's an accident when he's running through on goal we all know what happens. You get a red card. So why is it an accident and he isn't yellow carded then?" Dyche asked.
"I find it utterly strange, truly. These are simple decisions. Show the second yellow, job done. 'You're off'. I am completely astonished."
Jones gave Forest a free-kick but ignored calls by Igor Jesus and other Forest players to show Dias a second booking.
