Sean Dyche says 'nobody has a clue' about handball rule after Everton manager's zoom call with Premier League bosses

Sean Dyche questioned the decision to award Manchester City a match-defining penalty while his Everton side was level with the newly crowned club world champions.

Referee John Brooks pointed to the spot after Nathan Ake smashed the ball goalwards in the second half at Goodison Park. The ball struck Amadou Onana as he flung his body at the effort from close range, slamming into his arm.

Dyche believed his side had played well in defeat against a side whose quality he acknowledged.

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But he expressed frustration at the decision to award the spot kick - which Julian Alvarez converted to give his side the lead in a hard-fought game the visitors went on to win 3-1.

Dyche said: “I have no clue, I don’t think anybody does. We had a Zoom call a couple of months ago and all of the managers were going ‘it is a farce’. No-one knows why they are giving penalties and what is and what isn’t. The rules will state this, which is why they gave it tonight. The linesman gives it, which is a bit of an anomaly for me. He was 50 yards away and on Saturday we saw a linesman give nothing 12 yards away [when VAR then intervened to disallow an Everton goal], I don’t know what that is all about.

“Then they have got the letters of the law, so it is not the referee’s fault in a way. But is that deliberate? Of course it is not. These players hit the ball so fast so hard now, I don’t know where you are supposed to put your hands if you are slinging yourself to block a shot… All managers are frustrated with it, maybe the referees are as well - the players are definitely against it and I think this is