“I Did Think That”: Gary Neville Delivers Candid Verdict on Everton vs Newcastle Penalty Incident
Gary Neville, one of English football's most renowned pundits, recently shared his opinion on a penalty incident between Everton and Newcastle.
Everton sit just two points above the relegation zone, despite a small resurgence under Sean Dyche, earning four points from their last two matches.
Dwight McNeil has been a key player in this, scoring twice against Crystal Palace in what remains the Toffees’ only win so far this season.
Seamus Coleman recently praised McNeil, highlighting his growing leadership role at Everton.
However, another of the team’s leaders, James Tarkowski, made headlines for the wrong reasons during their match against Newcastle when he brought down Sandro Tonali in the box, resulting in a penalty.
Gary Neville has now shared his view on the penalty incident involving Tarkowski.
Gary Neville’s Verdict on Tarkowski’s Penalty Incident in Everton vs Newcastle
Jamie Carragher was stunned by Tarkowski’s decision to pull down Tonali, a move that seemed entirely avoidable.
The incident left little room for debate, and VAR quickly awarded the penalty.
Gary Neville, discussing the situation on The Overlap US, also weighed in on the decision.
He remarked, “There was a moment in the Everton vs Newcastle game where Tarkowski pulled down Tonali.
He wouldn’t have reached the ball, but I still thought it was a penalty.
The sheer stupidity and aggression of the hold made it deserving of the call, even if it didn’t affect play directly.”
James Tarkowski’s Season So Far
Tarkowski’s recent performances have seen a dip in form, with the Newcastle match being one of his worst displays this season.
He was rated 3/10 for that game, with the penalty incident standing out as a costly mistake that a defender of his experience should not have made.
Beyond the penalty, his overall performance was subpar, marked by poor judgment, losing track of his markers, and several mistakes.
However, interestingly, the statistics suggest he had a strong defensive game.
He recorded ten clearances, two blocks, four tackles, and won eight duels.
Alongside this, he gave away one penalty, committed one foul, and had 60 touches.
Despite these numbers, the key error overshadowed his defensive contributions.
