The VAR audio has been released from Everton’s penalty appeal for handball against West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes.
Further embarrassment has been shone onto the incident, with another clear blunder from the officials leaving Howard Webb trying to account for their error.
Since the incident, the Premier League KMI panel have said Everton deserved the penalty at the London Stadium, with the panel voting 4:1 in Everton’s favour.
No win in any of Everton’s last five games… what would you say to David Moyes? 🫣
Now, the officials have highlighted not only should they have awarded Everton a penalty, but they also failed to award a goal kick after rejecting the spot kick.
VAR audio highlights Everton frustration in West Ham blunder
Without VAR, Everton would be eighth in the table, which would have the Blues in a much more favourable position as they target Europe.
“It touches his hand. It was a complete accident. They’re engaged in a duel, and it hits his hand, goal kick,” said referee Stuart Attwell through Sky Sports’ audio.
Forgetting the fact that it should have been a penalty, the officials are recognising that the ball hit Fernandes’ hand, but they failed to award Everton a corner.
Two games to go… where do you see Everton actually finishing in the table? 😫
Europe now feels incredibly unlikely… 👋
The audio does the officials absolutely no favours whatsoever, with the linesman clearly saying: ‘I’ve got no idea.”
David Moyes said Everton got a rubbish response from PGMOL when they made their complaint following the game.
The officials have now had two weeks to assess the incident and Webb was quick to admit that he felt the on-field decision was wrong.
It just goes to show how poorly executed this incident was, with the linesman’s guesswork being credited, and West Ham somehow coming out of it with a goal kick.
What Howard Webb said about the West Ham handball vs Everton
Mark Clattenburg rejected Everton’s penalty claim on the day, when he spoke to Everton News after the match.
However, the consensus since has been that Everton were hard done by.
“Interesting situation, this one. I’m with you: from the outset, I want to say we think a penalty should have been awarded here against Fernandes,” said Webb.
As we all know, Everton left the London Stadium empty-handed, which only intensified the frustration surrounding the decision.
“He doesn’t make himself unnaturally bigger here. He moves his arm forward, probably trying to prevent the attacker from turning him, but in doing that, he kind of bats the ball away. He can’t even see the ball, but Fernandes knows more or less where it is. It’s a deliberate action with his arm (probably not to handle the ball, but to do something), and therefore I think we’ve given Fernandes way too much benefit of the doubt here.
“Looking at it technically, I think the game just expects a penalty in this situation.”
Moyes will likely take no comfort in this latest development.
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