David Moyes has dismissed Frank Lampard's complaints that Everton were fortunate with three VAR decisions in their 3-1 win over Coventry City at Hill Dickinson Stadium. The Everton boss insisted the calls were correct, including the second goal scored by Thierno Barry.
Barry had cancelled out Yann Gboho's opener when he bundled the ball home from close range just after the hour mark. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall then sealed the victory for the Blues nine minutes from time.
Lampard's three complaints
Lampard, on his return to Merseyside, felt his side were denied by three VAR calls. He believed Barry's second goal should have been disallowed for handball, and argued for a penalty when James Tarkowski appeared to pull Caleb Yirenkyi's hair in the area late in the first half.
The Sky Blues boss also thought Taiwo Awoniyi should have had a spot-kick after going down under Vitali Mykolenko's challenge at the start of the second half.
Moyes defends the decisions
“I have looked at them because sometimes [of] your emotions and in the moment and you can't be clear on the sidelines,” Lampard said. “But I think Tarky (James Tarkowski) pulls on Caleb's hair, they're saying it's not enough of a pull, I think that's a hard area to be in, what is a hair pull and what's not. You've decided it is, but it's not enough.”
“I think Taiwo for me if you're on the line of the box, it is a penalty, you've got to give the foul in real time anyway, the ref did let it go but I thought there was a penalty by the time Miko's knee's in the back of Taiwo's knee on the line of the box. Then the Barry one's hand ball. I've heard that he's apparently saying he didn't touch his hand, but I've seen an angle where he's flicked it in with the final touch. VAR is there for that and so nothing went for us tonight in that sense.”
“Well played Everton, well done, they win the game and we knew it would be a tough match, but if three decisions that are that big, I can't sit here and go 'I know everything, and they should give all three of them' but of those three, if one or two go our way they would clearly change the game.”
Moyes responds
When asked about the incidents, Moyes said: “We have had plenty which have gone against us. It certainly doesn't hit his hand at all, I think the hair pull rules changed so it would be a booking if it was but I think it is still ridiculous that is even categorised in the rules of the game.”
“I can't understand why they don't fix this completely because I don't see it as a good rule at all. I've hardly seen (Myko incident) but a couple of people have said it doesn't look anything like a penalty kick.”
