‘Actually’: Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy Stunned by Key Moment in Everton vs Arsenal Clash

Everton showed great resilience at Goodison Park as they bounced back from a midweek defeat to Liverpool, coming from behind to earn a 1-1 draw against Arsenal.

It marks the second time this season the Toffees have frustrated the Gunners, with the reverse fixture at the Emirates ending goalless back in December.

Arsenal struck first through Leandro Trossard, who opened the scoring in the 34th minute.

However, Everton found a way back into the game thanks to Iliman Ndiaye, who confidently converted a penalty on his first start since returning from injury.

The decision to award the spot-kick proved controversial.

It came after a long ball over the top from Jordan Pickford caught Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly under pressure, with Jack Harrison chasing it down.

As the ball bounced over Lewis-Skelly’s head, he collided with Harrison, and both players ended up on the ground inside the penalty area.

Referee Darren England pointed to the spot, and after a VAR check, the decision was upheld.

However, not everyone agreed with the call. On Match of the Day, Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy both expressed disbelief over the awarding of the penalty, suggesting that Everton were fortunate.

Murphy said, “I actually agree with Mikel Arteta. For me, it’s a really poor decision. It’s never a penalty.

At best, you could argue both players were tugging at each other, but there’s not enough there to give a penalty.

It’s extremely soft. Yes, there’s minor contact when they go down, but it’s not sufficient to warrant a penalty in my view.”

Shearer echoed Murphy’s view, also hinting that Arsenal had every reason to feel aggrieved.

Former Premier League referee Mike Dean later added his own opinion, labeling the penalty award as “soft.”

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, visibly frustrated after the game, voiced his concerns about the decision.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said, “There isn’t enough contact for a penalty, and whatever little contact there is starts outside the box. Inside the area, there’s nothing.”

Meanwhile, David Moyes, when asked for his take, declined to offer a definitive opinion on the incident.

“I haven’t seen it back yet,” he admitted. “I’ve watched it zero times, so I can’t say if it was a penalty or not.

But we got the decision, and it helped settle us early on. Overall, I was happier with our second-half performance.”

The incident has certainly stirred debate, but Everton will take the point as they continue to show signs of grit and improvement under pressure.