Jermaine Jenas reacts to ‘tricky’ controversy in Everton draw v Luton Town as MOTD footage shown
Jermaine Jenas believes Dwight McNeil should have been awarded a penalty during a 1-1 draw between Everton and Luton Town on Friday (3 May).
Teden Mengi was highly involved during the clash at Kenilworth Road and could have given away at least one penalty as the Toffees earned a point on the road after securing Premier League safety last month.
The incident in question saw McNeil burst into the Luton penalty area before being brought down by Mengi, which was waved away by referee Tim Robinson and deemed legal by VAR.
Speaking via BBC Match of the Day on Saturday (4 May), Jenas said: “We heard Sean Dyche talking about this one and I think he’s absolutely spot on.
“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t blame the referee for not getting this one straight away. I think it’s a tricky one, especially the position that he’s in – it’s a difficult one for him to see.
“But once VAR have a good look at this, Mengi clearly gets his foot on the right foot of Dwight McNeil. It’s a penalty. They’ve missed that one.”
Everton involved in controversy v Luton Town
While the Toffees have already secured their spot in the Premier League for the 2024/25 campaign, Dyche and his players will be keen to end the season on a high.
The draw against the Hatters means that Everton are unbeaten in four matches, having beaten Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Brentford to nil in consecutive games.
Some questioned whether the players would relax and put their feet up after the win against Brentford. However, it is clear after the draw against Luton that Dyche wants his players to fight until the end.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin opened the scoring with a spot-kick and it seems he should have been given at least one more chance to hit the back of the net at Kenilworth Road.
Mengi was at the centre of controversy, being involved in more than just this penalty call. He also brought Jarrad Branthwaite down in Luton’s box, leading to Calvert-Lewin’s opener.
In other Everton news, Stan Collymore has reacted to the “Conspiracy” surrounding the PGMOL decisions after the Nottingham Forest controversy.
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