A number of Everton supporters may well be fuming as footage shows a possible refereeing mistake in the club’s recent loss.
This weekend, the Toffees travelled to Aston Villa to play their second Premier League game of the season. However, despite a late own goal from Lucas Digne, Frank Lampard’s men fell to a 2-1 defeat.
Indeed, a strike in both halves – one from Danny Ings and then another from Emi Buendia – was enough to settle the game for the Villans.
Still, things could have been very different had the officials spotted one key incident that happened inside the Villa penalty box.
In footage shared on Twitter by user Kyle Hall (aired on BT Sport), Mason Holgate can be seen attempting to score a volley before defender Diego Carlos comes flying in to make a block – only to catch the Everton man with a high boot.
Did you think it was a foul on Mason Holgate?
Yes
No
TIF thoughts on Everton and the incident…
The Aston Villa man certainly seems to take a fair chunk out of Holgate who is left on the ground as the chance passes Everton by – and it’s a surprise that the penalty wasn’t given.
Former professional boxer Tony Bellew also seemed to feel as though the Toffees were hard done by, as he called VAR a ‘gang of cowards’ for not intervening on the incident.
Considering the score was at just 1-0 at that stage, it’s fair to say that lack of decision was a pivotal moment in the game. And when you look at the way Carlos recklessly tries to make the block – without getting much, if any, of the ball – it really is a shock that the challenge wasn’t at least reviewed in more depth.
Had VAR called for the referee Michael Oliver to check the incident, perhaps the game would have played out differently with the Toffees possibly being awarded a penalty at a critical moment in the match.