Slow day for DCL
“Great frontman play from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who causes havoc as he beats (Joachim) Anderson in the air then slides in to win the second ball” – that’s how my colleague and ECHO Everton correspondent Joe Thomas viewed the sending off incident in real time.
This correspondent – and we were seated directly in front of the penalty area in the Selhurst Park press box – also believed it was a minor incident and the VAR check would be merely brushed away but once the on-field referee is invited over to the pitchside monitor then there is a sinking air of inevitability about the whole proceedings. Yes Calvert-Lewin’s boot was raised and it caught his opponent Nathaniel Clyne but this was no cynical attempt to hurt the former Liverpool player but an honest challenge on a soaking wet surface.
The issue seems to arise when the incident is played back in slow motion and we can all pick out stills to make things look worse but when witnessed in real time, few had any qualms about it. It doesn’t have to be a Premier League game for the Blues to get punished though and these baffling calls keep on reoccurring.
Everton deserve better than the VAR shambles they are continuously being served up
Everton player ratings as Joao Virginia good but one player poor in Crystal Palace FA Cup clash
Golden Virginia
I’ll level with you, this correspondent is not a fan of the concept of ‘cup keepers’, I just don’t get why you’d unnecessarily weaken your side and it’s not like goalies need a rest.
During the 2020/21 season when matches were mostly played behind closed doors due to coronavirus restrictions, the then Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti would often alternate between Jordan Pickford and Robin Olsen – who at least was
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