Mike Dean reacts to Everton controversy v Brighton live on Sky Sports
Mike Dean believes Simon Hooper made the correct decision to overturn a penalty awarded to Everton in their 3-0 defeat against Brighton on Saturday (17 August).
Hooper initially pointed to the spot after Dominic Calvert-Lewin went down in the Brighton box under a challenge from Lewis Dunk, but a quick VAR check saw the decision overturned.
The decision turned out to be hugely important for Sean Dyche’s team as Danny Welbeck doubled the Seagull’s lead just nine minutes after the penalty incidents at Goodison Park.
Speaking live via Sky Sports on Saturday (17 August, 4:08pm), Dean said: “It’s not a penalty. It’s not a foul because Calvert-Lewin stands on the defender’s foot.
“When Dunk makes the tackle, Calvert-Lewin stands on his foot as he drags it away so it’s not a foul by the defender.”
Everton controversy in loss v Brighton
The Toffees got off to a terrible start in their 2024/25 campaign, missing the chance to claim an early three points against a new-look Brighton side at home.
Dyche’s side avoided defeat against the Seagulls last season, with both meetings ending in a 1-1 draw, but the overturned penalty decision now looks to be a moment of great importance.
At 1-0 down, conceding a goal to Karou Mitoma in the 25th minute despite a lot of dominance at Goodison Park, a spot-kick for Calvert-Lewin could have changed the game completely.
It also represents a missed opportunity for the striker to get his season going, having only scored seven times in the Premier League last term, which could affect his confidence going forward.
The incident will certainly have been one that has been awarded in the past and then confirmed as a penalty, but Calvert-Lewin and the Merseyside club were thwarted by VAR very early in the season.
In other Everton news, the Toffees have joined the race to sign Jens Hjerto-Dahl as a new transfer update emerges.
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