FA release document as Everton appeal success emerges
The Football Association (FA) has released a document of written reasons behind its decision to overturn a recent red card for Everton ace Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
The Times journalist Martyn Ziegler has reported that a panel has decided the referee made a clear and obvious error in sending off the striker against Crystal Palace.
Calvert-Lewin was shown a red card in Everton’s FA Cup third round meeting with the Eagles at the beginning of January.
“Full reasons released by FA on decision to overturn Calvert-Lewin’s red card v Palace,” Ziegler wrote on X. “Panel unanimously decided referee made a ‘clear + obvious error’ and that DCL’s challenge ‘lacked force, speed and intensity’.”
Good news
The decision from the FA to overturn the red card is, of course, good news for Calvert-Lewin and the Toffees, with the club not having much luck lately.
Manager Sean Dyche will, however, still be annoyed at the red card decision in the first place, with his star striker given his marching orders in the 79th minute of the clash at Selhurst Park.
The match finished 0-0, which could have been different had Calvert-Lewin remained on the pitch for the entire match.
Instead, the clubs will now go head to head once more in a replay, which will take place at Goodison Park on Wednesday (17 January).
It remains to be seen just how strong a squad Dyche will name for this clash, with the Toffees boss perhaps wanting to focus all of his efforts on staying in the Premier League.
The Merseyside outfit did put an end to their miserable run in the competition with a hard-fought point against Aston Villa on Sunday (14 January), but they remain in real danger of the drop after three successive losses before that draw.
In other Everton news, a BBC Sport pundit has named one Toffees star in his Premier League Team of the Season so far.