Gary Lineker forced to address BBC Match of the Day accusations after viewers complain

Gary Lineker has addressed Nottingham Forest fans' accusations of bias on Match of the Day following their historic win over Liverpool.

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast alongside Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, Lineker tackled the claims head-on after Forest's impressive 1-0 victory at Anfield - a feat not achieved since 1969. Despite the significance of the win, the game was not the lead feature on Match of the Day, instead coming in after Aston Villa's dramatic win against Everton.

Lineker took the opportunity to respond to Forest supporters who felt slighted by the programme's coverage.

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"It's interesting with Forest, a lot of their fans think that us on Match of the Day, we really don't like them and [that] we don't give them their flowers or their petals," he commented.

The pundit also mentioned the irony of the situation, given that some of the show's own staff are Forest fans. "So they complained a lot and they were on again 'they're gonna have to say something nice about us, they'll hate that' which is quite fun because one of our producers as you know, Finchy, is a big Forest fan and our floor manager Marco is another Forest fan."

Lineker concluded by expressing amusement over the notion that the Match of the Day team could harbour any bias against specific clubs. "I always find it quite amusing that fans think that we could probably be against their particular side and be biased against them.", reports the Mirror.

Lineker revealed intriguing behind-the-scenes details about the selection of match highlights on the popular show. During a conversation with Micah Richards, he disclosed how the final decision is made in collaboration with editor Richard Hughes: "Rich and myself talk through it but I think it generally picks itself, it looked almost certain that Forest would lead the show yesterday and then obviously another incredible comeback by Villa against Everton with that incredible goal from Duran."

He continued, explaining the process of choosing the most exciting game for viewers: "If you're picking the game of the day, that probably just edged Forest which we thought would definitely lead but that went second."

Forest's current standing at seventh in the Premier League table and their status as one of five unbeaten teams this season adds to the significance of these decisions.