Former Premier League referee criticized over controversial Everton vs. Leicester decision.
Dermot Gallagher defends officials' decision not to award a penalty for Vestergaard’s shove on Beto in Everton’s win over Southampton.
During the first half of Saturday’s (1 February) match at Goodison Park, Beto was sent crashing to the ground, but no penalty was awarded.
Everton went on to win 4-0, yet the decision sparked debate, particularly among fans and pundits.
Referee Darren Bond did not point to the spot, and VAR chose not to intervene, which enraged an Everton superfan.
While former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher supported the call, Sky Sports pundits Stephen Warnock and Sue Smith strongly disagreed.
“I don’t think it’s a penalty,” Gallagher said live on Sky Sports News (4 February, 11:28 am).
“I’ve got this thing about side-by-side challenges—you have to be strong, and he wasn’t.
VAR also says no. We debate clear and obvious errors all the time.”
Smith countered: “He gets shoved. I was so surprised this wasn’t given as a penalty.”
Warnock added: “That’s not side-by-side. It’s 100 per cent a penalty.”
The controversial decision left many baffled, including Richard Keys, who called it “utter nonsense.”
Jannik Vestergaard clearly barged into Beto, sending him to the ground.
Some might argue that Beto was not fully in control of the ball, but that reasoning is weak at best.
Despite the officiating, Everton delivered their best performance of the season, making the debate somewhat redundant.
However, it highlights the ongoing inconsistency in refereeing decisions.
Everton have suffered from questionable calls throughout the campaign, though, on this occasion, it did not cost them.
Now, all attention shifts to the FA Cup fourth-round clash against Bournemouth on Saturday (8 February).
This match could mark the last-ever cup tie played at Goodison Park.
Hopefully, this historic occasion will not be marred by another refereeing controversy.
