Alan Shearer has sided with the officials after Everton were not awarded a second-half penalty in their 0-0 draw with Newcastle United at Goodison Park on Saturday.
After an on-field VAR review in the first half, the Magpies were awarded a penalty after referee Craig Pawson missed a blatant foul by James Tarkowski on Sandro Tonali.
Anthony Gordon saw his spot-kick saved by Jordan Pickford but Everton felt as though they should have had a penalty of their own after the break when Dominic Calvert-Lewin was tripped by Dan Burn.
After a super save by Nick Pope, the ball seemed to be falling back to Calvert-Lewin to have a shot at goal but as he went to pull the trigger, he and Burn tangled legs.
Speaking on Match of the Day on Saturday night (5 October), Shearer said: “The only thing on that one I would say is that Dan Burn doesn’t attempt to tackle him, [he] doesn’t attempt to get in his way. And I noticed that Calvert-Lewin then kicks the back of [his leg].
“It’s one of those where if it’s given, it’s not going to be overturned and he didn’t give it, so they’re not going to go the other way.”
Shearer then went on to criticise his former club Newcastle for their lack of cutting-edge in attack.
“They were awful in the final third,” he added. “They played some really good football to get it to the final third but their final pass or finish was awful.”
Dominic Calvert-Lewin penalty should have been awarded in Everton v Newcastle
Whether Burn meant it or not, he impeded Calvert-Lewin in the box.
We can see why VAR allowed the on-field decision to stand and therefore not allow a penalty kick. It was a tight call after all.
Some would say Calvert-Lewin kicked the back of Burn’s leg – but we say that Burn came into the Everton striker’s space as he was about to shoot and that not only caused him to go down but it also denied a clear and obvious goalscoring opportunity.
Burn probably shouldn’t have been sent off because it wasn’t something he did on purpose. As Shearer said, there was no attempted tackle.
But if a player runs into another player without knowing they’re there and knocks them over, is it a foul?
There doesn’t have to be intent to give away a foul, which is why Everton should have had a penalty.
In other Everton news, Burn made an admission about the penalty controversy after the game.