David Moyes defended over ‘crazy’ Anfield scenes in Everton defeat to Liverpool
David Moyes’ bad times at Anfield continued, as he was unable to prevent Everton losing 2-1 against Liverpool in the Merseyside derby.
While the Toffees put together a spirited fightback in the second half, the damage had already been done, with the Reds earning yet another Merseyside victory at Anfield.
Blame for the defeat has already been passed out, with Moyes’ tactics being criticised against Liverpool.
However, there was also plenty of controversy throughout the match, which no doubt impacted the final result.
Goodison News presents the exclusive opinion of former Premier League and FIFA-listed referee Keith Hackett.
Keith Hackett: Darren England’s officiating was crazy
One of the most baffling parts of the Merseyside derby was Darren England’s officiating.
The referee was at the centre of multiple controversial decisions, with many believing that there was a foul in the build-up to Liverpool’s opener.
However, this was not the only strange decision that England made.
- England was at the centre of multiple controversial decisions in Everton’s match against Liverpool
- The referee allowed the Reds’ opener despite numerous heavy challenges from Reds players in the build-up
- On top of this, England made an usual decision to give Dewsbury-Hall a yellow card for taking a quick free-kick
In the second half, England made the decision to give Everton’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall a yellow card for taking a quick free-kick.
Speaking exclusively to Goodison News, Keith Hackett was less than impressed with the referee’s decision.
He said: “David Moyes has every right to be annoyed. This is frankly a crass piece of officiating.
The referee, by his action, has prevented the quick free kick from being taken.”
Everton deserved a point against Liverpool
While the first half performance against Liverpool was poor, Everton still should have come away with a point.
If England’s officiating was spot on, then the Reds’ opener would not have counted, and the Toffees would have had numerous more decisions go for them.
On top of this, multiple brilliant chances were made in both halves, and Moyes is perhaps unlucky that only Gueye managed to find the back of the net.
Hopefully, in the reverse fixture later this season, the Toffees have more luck and are able to strike a famous victory.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Everton news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @goodisonnews