Gary Neville has given his verdict on Abdoulaye Doucoure’s penalty claim this weekend.
Speaking on Sky Sports, the pundit claimed that Doucoure dived as he went down inside the box following an apparent foul from Arsenal.
Everton lost their first home clash against the Gunners since 2017 as Leandro Trossard’s second half goal proved to be the difference between the two teams at Goodison Park.
The North London outfit dominated possession this afternoon and limited the Toffees to only one shot on target, however Everton’s defence looked impenetrable for much of the game as they looked to continue their impressive run against the visitors.
However, the hosts fell to defeat after Trossard tucked away a brilliant goal to leave Jordan Pickford helpless in between the sticks.
Despite only conceding one goal on home soil, Everton fans will be frustrated by a lacklustre performance from the team. Though things could have gone very differently if Sean Dyche’s side were awarded a penalty on the half hour mark.
MORE EVERTON STORIES
While very little contact, Saliba looked to have caught Doucoure as he burst into the box. The 30-year-old fell to the floor and demanded a spot kick, however Neville has criticised him for diving.
Abdoulaye Doucoure was ‘predictable’ in Everton’s penalty claim
“No, not at all. He played for it,” Neville said.
“He sticks a leg out then pulls it out and Doucoure just dives. Absolutely not, it’s predictable.”
The midfielder had one of very few chances for the Toffees and, while many fans were annoyed with the VAR decision, there was no questions asked in Sky Sports’ analysis.
The home side were met with a chorus of boos when the full-time whistle was blown, with the Merseyside outfit remaining in the Premier League’s relegation zone after suffering four defeats in five games.