Dermot Gallagher: Anthony Gordon could have been sent off for challenge on Nuno Tavares
Dermot Gallagher reckons Everton attacker Anthony Gordon was lucky to escape a red card for his challenge on Nuno Tavares last night.
The Toffees man went in late with a tackle on the Arsenal defender, catching him on the ankle with his studs, but there was no foul given, and although the tackle was checked by VAR, the game restarted with a throw-in, and the former FIFA referee has reacted to it on Sky Sports Ref Watch.
Everton defender Ben Godfrey had escaped being sent off after stamping on the face of Takehiro Tomiyasu in the first-half, and the hosts were lucky to end yesterday’s (6 December) game with all their 11 players.
Gallagher said: “It’s an interesting tackle. It’s not a good tackle and certainly not a throw-in as they restarted the game.
“I think the referee’s missed the tackle on the field and the assistant is very close. It threw to the VAR Stuart Attwell, who looked at it.
“What I would say is it is very similar to the Godfrey tackle in so much as, I think it’s a yellow card. It’s a reckless challenge.
“What you would say is it is very difficult for Attwell because if he thinks it’s a yellow card as well, he’s hamstrung because as I said earlier, it is either a red card or nothing. He can only give a red card and I don’t think it is. Attwell also doesn’t think it is and they clear it and default back to a throw-in.
“So, it’s a yellow card lost and a free-kick to Arsenal lost, but that is the vague nature of the system. There is no middle ground.”
Lucky
Everton did not get their equaliser until the 80th minute, while Demarai Gray’s winner found the back of the net in the 92nd minute.
However, they could have been reduced to nine men had Godfrey and Gordon been shown their marching orders.
The Goodison Park outfit would not have had a lot of complaints as both players were reckless in their challenges, and they should count themselves lucky for remaining on the pitch.
Understandably, the players were ready to give their all in front of their fans having gone eight games without a win, but their overzealousness almost proved costly.
Everton were the better team last night, and they deserved all three points despite the fact that they had two goals ruled out.
They have been ravaged by injuries all campaign, but things could have gotten worse had they lost Godfrey and Gordon to red cards.
Rafa Benitez’s side are already thin at the back after Yerry Mina pulled out injured minutes into the game, while they are still short of options in attack with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and losing players in both departments is the last thing they need right now.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are plotting January loan-to-buy bid for centre-mid hailed by Jack Grealish last month.
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