Dermot Gallagher and Jay Bothroyd were at odds over the penalty that Everton were denied in the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal
Sky Sports pundits disagreed over whether Everton should have been awarded a penalty against Arsenal with former Gunners striker Jay Bothroyd adamant the Blues were hard done by.
Referee Sam Barrott waved play on after Thierno Barry was caught in the box by William Saliba as the Blues appealed for a spot kick.
Arsenal would ultimately run out 1-0 winners thanks to Viktor Gyokeres’ first half penalty after an handball by Jake O’Brien, but Blues boss David Moyes was angered by Barrott’s decision not to award his side a penalty.
“I think we’ve seen seen some given for being kicked through somebody’s foot or back. It actually is on his achilles, I think,” said Moyes.
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“In the action there wasn’t anything really happening, I think Saliba went in and Thierno got his foot in front of him and kicked the ball away and the boy kicked through [Barry].
“But I think you would all agree, it probably could have been given to us. For the VAR not to send him [Barrott] to the screen must have meant they didn’t think it was enough [for a penalty] in the studio.”
Discussing the incident on Sky Sports, Bothroyd and former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher were of differing opinions.
Gallagher said: “I trawled through the archives of this season and couldn’t find any incident where for a similar incident a penalty had been awarded.
“I think both of them go to kick the ball at the same time and there is no doubt Saliba catches Barry, there is no doubt about that. I looked through the previous sixteen weeks and couldn’t find one similar that they had given a penalty for.
“So it seems that in a situation like that they feel contact is not enough. VAR said the same. What I would say is once it is not given on the field it would be very, very difficult for the VAR to give it because it is not a clear and obvious error.”
Bothroyd was adamant Everton were hard done by though, saying:” For me, I watched that a few times. I have to say I thought that was a penalty.
“I think when you mistime kicking the ball, if it was on the floor it would be deemed as a penalty so even though the ball was up here I feel like that was because he’s kicked the player. Barry has touched the ball and he has kicked the bottom of his foot. That is clear to see and he has gone down.
“For me that should be a penalty, that is very clear but like Dermot said, I’m not privy to this, but they have not given any situation like this penalties for these situations this season, so is it a case of they are not giving these decisions anymore?
“I am not sure but it seems like they are being consistent if they are not but that is something they need to say otherwise we are always going to question.
Gallagher then added: “They are saying it every week by not giving them.”