Everton have every reason to feel like they are being targeted in this campaign, given what has gone on both on and off the field.
Their ten-point deduction, which rocked the footballing world, has drawn mass protests and fury targeted towards the Premier League.
They are now viewed as the enemy, more than any tribal club rivalry, with a genuine hatred bubbling up following such a landmark ruling.
And that frustration extends far further than just last month’s financial punishment, with a slew of refereeing decisions having gone against them in recent weeks.
With penalties waved away, and innocuous fouls in the midfield often ignored, yesterday marked the culmination of that, as the Toffees had a perfectly good goal chalked off by VAR for a foul in the build-up.
Andre Gomes was the alleged perpetrator, as his pressure saw Emerson Royal crumble, but the officials would bend to Tottenham Hotspur’s will, further outlining the demise of a once combative contact sport.
Well, Alan Shearer would offer his verdict on the flashpoint, telling Match of the Day: ‘The referee didn’t think so and the assistant didn’t think so (that it was a foul), so I totally get and understand what Sean (Dyche) is saying.
‘Yeah, it probably is a foul. But is it an absolute howler? He (on-field referee) didn’t think it was a foul. I get Sean’s point and I understand him as well.’
Should Everton’s goal vs Tottenham Hotspur have stood?
As a debate certain to rage on, likely until the next refereeing controversy emerges, there will be plenty of opinions regarding the fairness and reliability of VAR.
After all, its use seemed somewhat unnecessary yesterday, given the on-field decision made by both the referee and linesman seemed like a unanimous ruling.
They had all seen the same moment, and came to the same conclusion. So why change it?
Gomes’ foot does touch Royal’s, and as Shearer notes, it probably was a foul, even if a very soft one. There is contact, but some semblance of common sense must be applied.
The contact was hardly vigorous or aggressive, and arguably not even enough to send the Brazilian sprawling to the ground in the manner which he did.
It seems harsh to chalk off what was an expertly taken goal by Dominic Calvert-Lewin for something so minor and trivial.
If this is the way modern football is to be played, fans are set to soon endure a clinical game in which nobody goes near their opposite man out of fear they could be penalised for the smallest issues.
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