By George Overhill

26th Jan, 2022 | 11:10am

Keith Hackett reacts to 'incredible' footage from Everton defeat

Keith Hackett cannot believe that the “mainstream media” missed an apparent handball that could have given Everton a penalty against Aston Villa on Saturday.

Footage has emerged online showing the ball striking Emi Buendia’s fingers as Yerry Mina is about to win a header.

And the former referee believes it is “incredible” that nobody saw it at the time.

Writing on his personal Twitter account, ex-FIFA referee Hackett responded to being sent the clip by saying: “Wow that’s an incredible shot even missed by mainstream media”.

One that got away

The blows just keep coming for the Toffees right now, and realising that they almost certainly should have been awarded a penalty in such a crucial game is just the latest one.

The elements of misfortune that were involved in the defeat at Goodison Park on Saturday have contrived to make it especially painful.

Villa’s former Norwich man Buendia managed to score the only goal of the game in first-half injury time, at the very point that caretaker manager Duncan Ferguson would have been hoping to get a chance to re-motivate his players for a decent showing.

The difference between being level at the half and trailing can be psychologically so significant.

The goal itself may have been cleared off the line by Andros Townsend were it not for the fact that the stretching Jordan Pickford managed to just get a finger tip to the looping header, which appeared to take it just beyond the winger.

And now to see that the goalscorer apparently made an error, that if noticed would have given the home side a chance to get something from the game, is excruciating.

Managers often speak of luck evening itself out over the course of the season, but it will have to hurry up and start doing that for Everton, because they cannot afford too many more knocks.

In other Everton news, Sky Sports have reported a major update regarding one of the mooted managerial candidates.