Dermot Gallagher shares verdict on controversial Idrissa Gueye incident in Everton loss v Aston Villa
Dermot Gallagher feels it was the right decision to award a penalty to Aston Villa against Everton for a foul by Idrissa Gueye, despite footage suggesting he may have got the ball.
The Toffees were beaten 2-0 at Goodison Park, with Ollie Watkins breaking the deadlock from the spot after Gueye was adjudged to have fouled John McGinn in the box.
But some camera angles look as though Gueye may have got a touch on the ball first, but while speaking on Sky Sports’ ref watch segment (27 February) Gallagher suggested that other angles show that he didn’t touch the ball and feels the right decision was reached by VAR.
“The referee Anthony Taylor gave the penalty on field,” he said. “If you look at it from different angles and one shows Idrissa Gueye has touched it and another shows you he may have caught John McGinn, I don’t think he does touch the ball.
“It looks as though he does, but the way the ball travels tells me differently. If one angle shows you he might have touched it and another shows you he doesn’t, you’re always going to go with the angle which shows you he doesn’t because he’s given the decision of penalty on the field.”
Harsh
If there are angles that suggest he got the ball, and others that suggest that he didn’t, then it can’t be a clear and obvious error either way.
Obviously on this occasion that means a penalty should be given, but it feels as though these decisions almost always go against Everton. There were plenty of people who thought it shouldn’t have been given too.
In the position we’re in at the bottom of the table, we need those decisions to start going in our favour instead because they could be the difference between relegation and survival.
Ultimately it didn’t really have an effect on the result because Villa were the better side for the most part, but it was a game-changing moment and obviously swayed the course of the game.
It was harsh to give it, and by not giving it we’d be sat here having the same debate but looking at a different camera angle. But we could have an extra point on the board if it had gone that way.