Everton: Danny Murphy states what VAR and PGMOL must do after Nottingham Forest controversy
Danny Murphy believes the PGMOL will need to apologise to Nottingham Forest after not awarding them a penalty against Everton on Sunday (April 21).
Forest were outraged after a series of penalty decisions went against them at Goodison Park, prompting them to take fire at the PGMOL and VAR on social media after the game.
While Ashley Young was involved in all three contentious decisions, Murphy believes his challenge in the box on Callum Hudson-Odoi was by far the more obvious and should have seen a penalty awarded.
Speaking via BBC’s Match of the Day 2 on Sunday (21 April), he said: “It’s a stonewall penalty because he [Hudson-Odoi] gets to the ball first, and Young brings him down.
“This is the key for me – the referee indicates that Young gets the ball. Once he verbalises that to VAR, all they have to do is what the replays and say, ‘no, he didn’t get the ball. You are going to have to give a penalty or watch it for yourself.’
“How that didn’t happen is beyond my comprehension. Why did VAR not tell him he got it wrong? They bottled it. They will have to come out and say sorry because that is 100 per cent a penalty.”
Everton escape Goodison Park controversy
Whatever the controversy, the Toffees will just be glad to have left Goodison Park with all three points amid a battle at the bottom of the Premier League table.
Sean Dyche’s side fought hard to win just their third league match of 2024 to widen the gap between Luton Town to five points and the gap on Forest to four points.
Safety is the number one target on Merseyside currently, and the victory has taken the Toffees one step closer to achieving that goal this season.
Young could have been penalised multiple times throughout the match, which would have changed the complexion of the game completely, so Forest do have reason to be infuriated.
While two of the three decisions are up for debate, few can argue that Young’s challenge on Hudson-Odoi in the penalty area should not have led to a spot-kick from 12 yards.
Nonetheless, Idrissa Gana Gueye and Dwight McNeil stepped up massively to seal the victory for Everton, ignoring the noise surrounding the contentious decisions and getting on with what was a massive game.
In other Everton news, Forest have made a scathing social media post following their defeat to the Toffees at Goodison News
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