Jamie Carragher reacts to ‘messy’ Everton controversy v Arsenal – ‘I’m with Arteta
Jamie Carragher has given his verdict as Everton’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal on Saturday was riddled with controversy.
The Goodison Park outfit were looking to get back to winning ways after the 1-0 loss to Liverpool (2 April) ended their nine-match unbeaten run in the Premier League.
The Blues went behind through a first-half Leandro Trossard strike but would ultimately end up denting the Gunners title hopes at Goodison Park (5 April).
Iliman Ndiaye levelled from the penalty spot to give David Moyes’ side a point but the decision has proved to a very contentious one.
Carragher thinks Everton penalty was ‘soft’
Myles Lewis-Skelly was penalised for a clumsy challenge on Everton winger Jack Harrison just after half-time with a penalty awarded and the Senegal international dispatching shortly after, around the 50th minute mark.
The penalty proved to be the most important moment of the match as the Gunners or the Toffees could not find a winner in the final 40 minutes.
The decision has split pundits, Mike Dean agreed with the decision but Carragher believes that the Blues were lucky to been given a spot kick.
Speaking on Sky Sports (6 April, 12:10 pm), he said: “I thought it was very soft. I’m with Mikel Arteta, I didn’t think it was a penalty.
“When I first saw it, I thought it was a penalty, I could understand the referee giving it in some ways because it was a bit of a mess from Arsenal, I think Kiwior leaves the ball to bounce, Lewis-Skelly gets himself caught up with Harrison and it looks like a bit of a tangle.
“But then when you look at it, it looks really soft, in some ways, those types of decisions are almost the thing that is wrong with VAR, where you look at it and say it’s not a penalty but it is not an absolute howler, then VAR don’t get involved and really it is not a penalty.”
Moyes needs goalscoring upgrades at Everton
The Blues struggled to create chances before Darren England handed them a chance to get back into the contest from the spot.
That has been a regular theme this campaign, with the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Dwight McNeil and Armando Broja struggling with their fitness.
| Stats | Calvert-Lewin | Beto | McNeil | Broja | Harrison | Lindstrom |
| Goals | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Assists | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Jesper Lindstrom is yet to notch his first Toffees strike, while Harrison who won the penalty, has just one league goal across the season.
Beto is the only attacker to thrive and that has only been since Moyes returned in January although his output has fallen off lately with no goals in his last five games after a run of five in five games previously.
The forward line is the most pressing concern for the summer transfer window and the Friedkin Group must back the Scotsman with top-quality additions, otherwise, it could be another testing campaign in the first one at the new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium.