Credit: Imago

Daniel Davis

Sat 21 March 2026 21:15, UK

Everton cruised to an impressive 3-0 victory against Chelsea at Hill Dickinson Stadium, and referee Sam Barrott has also been lauded by Keith Hackett for his display.

Barrott, who has officiated in the Premier League since 2023, took charge on Saturday night and emerged with his copybook unscathed after a string of correct, decisive decisions.

That has led former PGMOL chief Hackett to praise him for a job well done.

Speaking exclusively to Goodison News, Hackett said: “After delivering a fair amount of criticism of the standard of the current PGMOL referees, it is pleasing to highlight the excellent performance of Samuel Barrott in charge of the Everton v Chelsea game today.

“He moved around the field of play with ease, achieving some very good viewing angles. His communication with the players appeared to be respectful, and his detection of offences was very good. Well done to him and his colleagues.”

Barrott went under the radar in Everton’s win, which is always a positive for referees.

David Moyes’ past criticism of Sam Barrott

However, David Moyes may not have been happy with Barrott’s appointment.

Indeed, the Everton boss has a history with the referee, having voiced his fury over his decision-making in the Toffees’ 1-0 home defeat by Arsenal back in December.

On that occasion, the referee did not point to the spot after William Saliba made contact with Thierno Barry’s boot inside the box, with Moyes adamant it should have been a penalty.

He managed to hold back his frustration during his conversation with the official at full-time, but later said: “I’d like to [repeat what I said], but I’d probably be fined in some ways.”

Barrott has now overseen three Everton matches this season, having also presided over the 1-1 draw at home with West Ham in September, but he is something of a bad omen.

The Merseysiders have won just two and lost four of their seven matches with Barrott as the referee, with their first victory coming against Crystal Palace in November 2023.

Race for Europe is on – and Everton have the edge

Against all the odds, Everton’s push for Europe looks set to last until the very last kick of the campaign, and even the top five places aren’t out of reach just yet.

The 3-0 win against Chelsea propelled them up to eighth place and narrowed the gap on sixth-placed Chelsea to just two points, ahead of the Blues’ nightmare run of fixtures.

It is not outlandish to suggest that the Toffees currently hold the edge over their rivals, including Liverpool, who lost 2-1 at Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday lunchtime.

Moyes’ charges have momentum on their side after sending a message to the rest of the top-flight. What is clear is that they’re not going anywhere without a fight.