Ben Foster slams Premier League after Everton controversy v Manchester United
Everton have found themselves in the headlines after a controversial incident in their 2-2 draw with Man United at Goodison Park.
David Moyes’ side were forced to settle for a point against the Red Devils (22 February), despite being two goals to the good at halftime.
Beto gave the Toffees the lead after a lengthy VAR check before Abdoulaye Doucoure doubled their advantage in what was a rampant first-half display.
However, goals from Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte after the interval got Man United right back into the encounter not long before an incident occurred which would become the main talking point of the game.
Ben Foster rips into VAR after Everton controversy
Not only was VAR under scrutiny for the length of time it took to award the opening goal, but Everton had a huge shout for a penalty in the dying seconds when Ashley Young appeared to be dragged down in the box by Harry Maguire.
Referee Andy Madley initially pointed to the spot, before being advised by VAR to have another look at the incident which in turn saw the decision reverted, much to the surprise of almost everyone in Goodison Park.
Foster immediately took to X to have his say on the controversy, though it wasn’t the actual decision that frustrated him the most.
His post reads: “Yep VAR needs to go.
“Not because it’s the right decision or not… it’s because VAR has taken nearly 10 minutes today.”
Had the penalty been upheld, Everton would have had a massive opportunity to ensure they picked up all three points but were instead forced to rue a second-half comeback from the Red Devils.
VAR is killing the game
Not only were Everton seemingly robbed of a chance to take all three points, but the time taken to review the decisions killed any flow of the game, which has been the main argument against the system ever since it was installed in the Premier League
The whole purpose of VAR is to correct any clear and obvious errors, yet it appears that it is used far more often than that and it just isn’t working how it was supposed to.
| Everton v Man United stats (FotMob) | Goals | Big chances | xG | Possession | Passes (Accuracy) |
| Everton | 2 | 4 | 1.91 | 38% | 231 (74%) |
| Man United | 2 | 1 | 0.41 | 62% | 456 (86%) |
Any energy or momentum was zapped out of the game as a result of the time it took the officials to review several incidents.
English football is all about passion, and with the way VAR is currently being operated, it is being slowly drained out of the sport and its about time that some form of changes were made.
Everton have every right to feel hard done by in the game.