Everton: 3 times when VAR or referee robbed Everton and impacted the game outcome

Everton were not given a penalty against Liverpool

2. Not awarding a penalty against Liverpool

The Merseyside derbies are always a feisty affair with tempers flaring high. Everton and Liverpool clashed at Anfield. Everton weren’t the most optimistic lot going into the game that was being officiated by Stuart Atwell.

When the game was at 0-0, Everton were causing some sorts of problems to the Liverpool defence through Anthony Gordon. Gordon’s blistering pace saw him get better of Liverpool defenders on a couple of occasions. In the 53rd minute, Alex Iwobi played a through ball to Gordon, whose blistering pace allowed him to almost get past Joel Matip and as the attacker was in the goal area, he put himself between the ball and Matip, going down and asking for a penalty.

In any other game, a penalty would have been awarded but Atwell was having none of it. Everton were livid with such refereeing and there was nothing from VAR too. The Toffees demanded an explanation as to why that was not a penalty.

In the post game conference, Lampard didn’t hold back his rage and said had it been Mo Salah, he would have gotten a penalty for this kind of incident. This statement did not go down too well with the FA as they charged the Everton boss with improper conduct.

Nonetheless, the point raised by Lampard was correct, penalties have been given in the past for similar incidents and Everton should have got one.

continued on the next slide…