Everton fans were left frustrated during their last Premier League game against Newcastle United, which ended in a 0-0 draw. The game was filled with drama, but the most controversial moment came in the second half when many thought Everton should have been awarded a penalty.
However, the referee and VAR made a different call, and now the Premier League has had to explain why Everton didn’t get the spot kick.
Everton fans are certainly agitated by the recent poor performances of their team. Though they have begun to get points and finally get a bit of momentum. They could have won it if Dominic Calvert-Lewin was more clinical.
Though they can look back and appreciate the point on Saturday, the fans would need to see more from their team to encourage them to get Everton tickets from an online resale store.
The controversial penalty incident & the Premier League’s explanation
During the second half of the match, Everton’s striker Dominic Calvert Lewin had a golden opportunity to score. After his initial shot was saved by Newcastle’s goalkeeper, Nick Pope, the ball rebounded back into his path. Just as Calvert Lewin was about to take his second shot, he collided with Newcastle defender Dan Burn and fell to the ground.
Everton fans, players, and even commentators like Jamie Carragher who by the way is a Liverpool legend thought it was a clear penalty. Calvert-Lewin appeared to have been tripped by Burn, which seemed to most people like a textbook example of a foul in the penalty box. But this time around, the referee, Craig Pawson, decided not to award the penalty, and the video assistant referee (VAR) refused to overturn the decision either.
After the match, the Premier League released a statement on social media, explaining why the penalty was not given. According to them, the replay showed that it was not Dan Burn who made contact with Calvert-Lewin. Instead, it was Calvert-Lewin who accidentally kicked Burn as he tried to shoot the ball.
The statement read: “The referee’s call of no penalty for the challenge between Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Dan Burn was checked and confirmed by VAR- deeming that Calvert-Lewin kicked the back of Burn’s leg.”
In other words, Calvert-Lewin’s foot hit Burn’s leg, and that is why he fell. Because Calvert-Lewin was the one who made the contact, the referee did not consider it a foul by Burn. To the officials, it was just a 50-50 challenge from both players.
From a fan’s perspective, especially for the Evertonians, this decision did not go down well at all. In real-time, and even in some replays, it looked like Burn had tripped Calvert-Lewin. But football is a fast-paced sport, and what we see in the heat of the moment can be different from what happened.
Former heavyweight and cruiserweight British boxer and long-time Everton fan Tony Bellew was one of the most vocal critics of the decision. He took to social media to express his frustration, claiming that not only should Everton have been awarded a penalty, but Dan Burn should have been shown a red card for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
Bellew also raised concerns about the consistency of refereeing decisions when it comes to Everton. He, along with many other fans, felt that their team had been on the wrong side of several questionable decisions this season.
The inconsistency of the Premier League referees
When it comes to controversial decisions like this, opinions are always divided. On one hand, the referee and VAR followed the rules. They looked at the replay and determined that it was Calvert-Lewin who made the contact with Burn, not the other way around. According to the rules of the game, this means that it was not a penalty.
But, throughout this season, the Premier League referees have been quite inconsistent. There have been several incidents that suggest a lack of standard in the referring of league games, even more, shocking that this is happening even with the presence of the Video Assistant Referees (VAR) there to aid the officials.
However, football is also a game of emotions, and in situations like this, it is difficult to accept such decisions. And with the game ending as a 0-0 draw, Sean Dyche would be cursing his luck over such missed opportunities to get a win at home.
Despite the disappointment, there are some positives to take away. Everton managed to keep a clean sheet as Jordan Pickford, Everton’s goalkeeper, played a key role in this, even saving a penalty from Anthony Gordon in the first half, and making several saves to keep Newcastle United at bay.
However, the draw does quite little to ease the pressure on Everton manager Sean Dyche. The team has struggled in the early part of the season, and many fans are questioning whether Dyche is the right man for the job. A win against Newcastle United would have been a huge boost, both for the team’s confidence and for Dyche’s future at the club, but for now, Everton still remains on the brink of the bottom of the Premier League.
Conclusion
Everton will need to put this controversial moment behind them as they prepare for their upcoming matches. While the decision to deny them a penalty may hurt, the team must stay focused on improving their performances on the pitch.
For Everton fans, the hope is that these kinds of decisions will not become a trend and that the team will get the rub of the green in future games, and hopefully get more favourable decisions in subsequent matches.
Sean Dyche on the other hand will desperately hope that his men kick on from this solid display at home and start racking up some points and finally climb higher in the Premier League.
Camila