Everything said as Premier League panel split on Everton and Brennan Johnson controversy

Brennan Johnson's recent disallowed goal for Everton against Hull City continues to spark debate.

The Wales international thought he had given Everton the lead 34 minutes into the Premier League clash at the MKM Stadium on 11 October.

Johnson fired a loose ball past Hull goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis and ran off to celebrate.

However, those celebrations were cut short as VAR intervened and asked Michael Salisbury to check for an offside infringement.

After reviewing the footage on the pitchside monitor, Salisbury ruled out the goal as the sides went on to play out a 2-2 draw.

The Premier League Key Match Incidents (KMI) panel has now shared its ruling on the decision - and it is not unanimous.

Premier League panel fail to agree on Brennan Johnson's disallowed goal

Johnson was ruled out as he was deemed to be interfering with play while in an offside position.

That is the key aspect: whether the winger was forcing Ryan Giles into a clearance.

The KMI findings, published via the Premier League's official website on Wednesday, could not come to a total agreement on whether it was the right call.

However, they did vote 4-1 in favour of the right call being made by Salisbury following the VAR intervention.

"The on-field decision was deemed incorrect and the VAR intervention was supported 4:1," the findings read.

"Johnson is in an offside position when [Harrison] Armstrong shoots at goal, and remains active following the save by the defender.

"Following the save, Johnson makes an immediate challenge on the defender, limiting the defender's options to clear the ball.

"One panellist deemed the on-field decision correct and the VAR intervention incorrect as they felt the defender made a deliberate action to clear the ball before Johnson impacts."

Ultimately, while not universal, it was adjudged Johnson was in an offside position.

Some will say it did not matter in the end, but that is not true as that first-half goal would have changed the complexion of the game entirely.

What did Mark Clattenburg say on Everton controversy?

Former referee Mark Clattenburg joked that he had received countless messages from Everton fans asking why this goal was ruled out.

The fact Hull goalkeeper Tzolakis was not one of the two men between Johnson and the goal, but rather two defenders, made it a strange scenario.

But Clattenburg said the decision to rule it out was correct.

"If that were the goalkeeper, no one would be talking about it," he said on So Near, Yet So VAR.

"But because it's a defender, people are confused. Under the laws of the game, a save is still classed in the phase of an offside.

"So once the defender makes the save, it then goes towards a Hull defender and Johnson.

"What then confuses the situation is the Hull defender clears the ball and it hits Johnson and goes in the goal.

"And everyone is saying is that not a new phase after the save. But Johnson was in the act of challenging for the ball with the Hull defender. He was close enough to challenge for the ball."

It is one of those quirks that seems to only ever go against Everton.

It will be interesting to see if the same applies when something similar happens against the Toffees down the line.