Gary Lineker reacts to VAR controversy on Match of the Day after Everton win v Burnley
Former Everton striker Gary Lineker reacted to some questionable VAR input following the Toffees’ 1-0 win over Burnley on 6 April.
Speaking on Match of the Day in the aftermath of Everton’s first Premier League win in 14 attempts, Lineker wouldn’t be drawn on any VAR controversy.
The Toffees won it thanks to a stroke of luck, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin blocking Arijanet Muric’s attempted clearance into the Burnley net just before half-time. Everton also felt they should have had a penalty late on when James Garner was clipped in the box by Jay Rodriguez, but the referee and VAR waved play on.
Speaking on that Rodriguez challenge, as well as the lunge from Dara O’Shea which saw the Burnley defender shown a straight red card, Lineker said: “Not VAR’s best game, but we’ll gloss over that.”
Ugly wins and narrow margins may prove vital for Everton survival
The fact that Everton’s first league victory in 14 matches – avoiding breaking an unwanted club record in the process – came via a blocked goalkeeper’s clearance ricocheting over Muric’s head and into the net, suggests that the Toffees’ luck may be turning in their fight to stay up.
Manager Sean Dyche was as bemused as Lineker when Rodriguez’s challenge on Garner didn’t yield a penalty, while Burnley boss Vincent Kompany wasn’t pleased that O’Shea’s tackle on Dwight McNeil resulted in a red card, arguing that a loose ball on the halfway line is not a goalscoring opportunity.
Regardless of VAR’s input – or lack of input – in this game, it’s one that Everton desperately needed to win and did so by the skin of their teeth. Lucky? Perhaps, but with a handful of games left, the Toffees will feel they made their own luck in securing three vital points at Goodison.
In other Everton news, the documents related to a Toffees first-team player are on the table of a Champions League club with a summer exit on the cards.
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