Everton VAR outrage vs Manchester City was handball admits Rodri
The controversial decision not to award a penalty to Everton against Manchester City last season was wrong as it was handball, Rodri has admitted.
The Toffees lost a tight game against the eventual champions 1-0 on 26 February as they battled relegation, after what looked like a clear spot kick against the Spanish midfielder was not given by referee Paul Tierney, nor upon VAR review by Chris Kavanagh [BBC].
It was one of various decisions that enraged the club during the battle against the drop, and led to PGMOL chief Mike Riley to phone manager Frank Lampard with an apology, and now the player at the centre of it agrees it went the wrong way.
Speaking to CBS Sports Golazo, in a clip posted on their Twitter account, host James Benge said: “Obviously I think it’s something City fans enjoy, Everton fans maybe don’t, the one with the handball.”
The 26-year-old midfielder said of the incident: “The problem in that game, I thought they put the flag up so we were a bit confused, maybe it was just offside and the hand didn’t [come into it].
“Of course now I see the image and the ball is in the part of the hand [that] you can say it’s a penalty.
“In that moment, honestly, I don’t know. There’s many things coming. I was praying, of course, that they didn’t give it because I remember it was a tough, tough game.
“Sometimes they give, sometimes they don’t give, so it’s like this.”
Slack
Everybody could see it was a handball at the time except the officials on the day somehow, and while it ultimately didn’t cost Everton their place in the Premier League it arguably did give the visitors the title.
Pep Guardiola’s men eventually overcame Liverpool by a single point, so in the grand scheme of things Toffees fans may be content with how things turned out.
It was part of what Frank Lampard and the fans felt was a pattern of events going against them that everyone around the club will be hoping ended with the season.
Riley is due to step down at the end of the 2022/23 campaign [Guardian], and high profile errors by his charges are likely to have been a contributing factor.
It is not especially Rodri’s fault that the penalty wasn’t given against him, and when fighting for the title he would obviously hope to get away with it.
All the same even he would have expected to be penalised once the video assistant got involved.
If it is actually true that decisions even themselves out then Toffees fans will be hoping for a bounty of favourable calls once the new season kicks off, but consistent ones would probably suffice.