Dermot Gallagher believes that Anthony Taylor made the correct decision when he awarded Everton a penalty in their 2-0 win against Chelsea at Goodison Park on Sunday.
Marcos Alonso tripped Richarlison inside the penalty area, and although the resulting spot-kick was missed by Gyfli Sigurdsson, the Iceland international managed to smash home the rebound to earn the Toffees a comfortable three points against Maurizio Sarri’s underachievers.
Former Premier League referee Gallagher has suggested to Sky Sports that it was a straightforward penalty to award for Taylor.
“Correct decision, penalty,” Gallagher said on the Sky Sports website.
“He stands on his foot, takes him down and Anthony Taylor has a brilliant position. When you see it at normal speed, it is easier to tell it is a penalty.”
OPINION
Chris Waddle claimed that it was not a penalty when it was awarded by Taylor, claiming that VAR would have overruled the original decision, however it was certainly a foul due to the contact. If that was anywhere else on the pitch, no one would be batting an eyelid if the referee awarded a free-kick. VAR will definitely cause a lot of controversy next season. Overall, it will reduce the number of incorrect decisions, but as we have seen plenty of times already, there are still incidents that are covered by VAR that still cause a huge debate. So much in football is subjective and as long as there is a solid case for a referee to make a decision, then that’s the end of the matter. Having a second-look at an incident or having another referee helping out remotely are two great ways to help improve decision-making, as well as create a fairer playing field. One massive issue has been the inconsistent use of VAR though, especially in the FA Cup. That is a whole other debate though.