Richard Keys rages over what he saw Harry Maguire do to Andy Madley v Everton
Richard Keys has shed light on what he saw Harry Maguire do to Andy Madley in Manchester United’s 2-2 draw with Everton on Saturday.
It has been three days since Everton and Manchester United played out an entertaining draw in the Premier League at Goodison Park, but it continues to be a topic of discussion among fans and pundits.
If Ruben Amorim’s men coming from two goals behind to salvage a point on their last trip to Goodison was not dramatic enough, Madley grabbed headlines after he overturned his decision to award Ashley Young a penalty following a check on the pitchside monitor in the final minutes of the game.
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has since argued that the officials might have made a mistake by focusing on Maguire’s alleged foul on Young instead of checking Matthijs de Ligt’s involvement during the VAR review.
Meanwhile, Keys has noticed something that Maguire did off the ball during the game.
Keys accuses Maguire of manipulation referee for Manchester United
Addressing the controversy, Keys started off by pointing out that De Ligt was the guilty party in the whole incident and he should have been penalised for pulling Young.
The former Sky Sports commentator also speculated that Howard Webb will eventually come out justifying the decision.
| Pundit | Penalty Stance |
| Sutton | No penalty |
| Savage | No penalty, but on-field decision should have stood |
| Alan Pardew | Penalty |
| Henry Winter | Penalty |
| Richard Keys | Penalty |
He also described Maguire as ‘the lingerer’, hitting out at the Manchester United defender for constantly trying to put pressure on the referee.
Writing on his personal blog (24 February), Keys argued: “Of course, Maguire’s little tug on Young wasn’t enough to bring him down.
“It was de Ligt who committed the offence – pulling Young back as he tried to get to the loose ball. It was a pen.
“I know what they’ll say on Sorry! Howard Webb will argue De Ligt didn’t have a hold of the shirt for very long.
“Again – I agree, but he had hold of it long enough to stop Young getting to the ball and scoring.
“And what have I told you about ‘the lingerer’ Maguire?
“He’s always first to the ref putting pressure on the official. He was at it all day at Goodison. He’s not captain.”
Everton above United in Premier League
Nevertheless, Everton remain above Manchester United in the Premier League after 26 games. Their six-game unbeaten run in the league under David Moyes recently saw them move a point above the Red Devils, sitting 14th in the table.
It is remarkable to say that the Goodison Park outfit were risking relegation at the start of the year, but have steered clear of it since Moyes replaced Sean Dyche.
The Merseyside-based club will look to extend their unbeaten run to seven games when they face Brentford away from home on Wednesday, 26 February.