Dermot Gallagher reacts to Everton controversy v Tottenham live on Sky Sports
Dermot Gallagher has dismissed the idea that the first Everton goal against Tottenham could have been disallowed for either a foul on Guglielmo Vicario or an offside, despite big claims from the opposition.
The former referee pointed out that Sean Dyche’s team had done the same thing for all of their corners, crowding the goalkeeper and swinging the ball under the bar, and it was only once they scored that complaints were made.
Concerning the offside, the evidence was clear that both Vicario and Richarlison were in deeper positions than Jack Harrison when Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s header deflected off of him and into the next.
Speaking live on Sky Sports News’ Ref Watch [5 February, via X], Gallagher shared: “I didn’t think it was a foul. This was the third corner they’d had where they put everyone in like this.
“I don’t think it was a foul, and I also don’t think it was offside like a lot of people claim because the goalkeeper and Richarlison are on the line.
“The big claim was because it’s not actually Calvert-Lewin that heads it in the net, it strikes Harrison, the big argument was Harrison is offside. He clearly wasn’t, and I don’t think it was a foul either.”
Sean Dyche knows what to do at Everton
The shouts for fouls and offsides and whatever else from Tottenham players and staff seem to have been born more through desperation than any real belief or evidence, and the focus should be more on their goalkeeper – something Micah Richards reiterated.
Everton have been the set-piece experts in the Premier League this season, having scored 13 of their 26 goals this season from dead-ball situations, with only Arsenal scoring more but the Toffees with the highest percentage.
To have scored 50 per cent of their Premier League goals through set-pieces shows clear planning and a focus on direct play and making the most of these opportunities from Dyche and his coaching team, and Tottenham just couldn’t cope with it.
Earlier this season, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta labelled set-pieces among Everton’s weaknesses, leading to a clear change in mentality at Goodison Park with more focus applied to these situations.
In other Everton news, a Premier League “civil war” is now on the cards after what happened.
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