‘The outcome seemed set’ – National media make same Everton point after latest VAR shambles
Everton was held to a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace, forcing them to participate in an FA Cup third-round replay.
The FA Cup fourth-round draw still has Everton’s name in the hat, but this was not the primary talking point following Thursday night’s 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace.
After what appeared to be a very reasonable challenge on former Liverpool defender Nathaniel Clyne, Dominic Calvert-Lewin was sent out, sparking a highly contentious red card decision for Sean Dyche’s team.
Referee Chris Kavanagh produced a red card, which will now cause Calvert-Lewin to miss three games as punishment. The striker could not believe what he was seeing.
Reacting to this decision and in the match as a whole were the national media, along with the ECHO’s own Joe Thomas, whose thoughts can be found below.
‘Enormously harsh’
Sam Dean of the Telegraph wrote:
“To lose Dominic Calvert-Lewin for three games, following a straight red card in the second half here, is bad enough. To then lose Dwight McNeil too, to what appeared to be a serious injury, made matters even worse for Sean Dyche. Two players down, and the only reward for it – if you can call it a reward, which you probably can’t – was a replay against Crystal Palace.
“In the immediate aftermath of this goalless draw, the focus was on Calvert-Lewin. There were around 10 minutes remaining when the Everton striker slid in to win the ball on the edge of the Palace box and, on first viewing, his challenge appeared to be clean. There were few complaints, if any, from the Palace’s players or supporters.
“The all-seeing eyes of VAR could spot what the rest of us could not, though, and the slow-motion replays had disastrous consequences for Everton. Did they show a serious foul? That might depend on your view. It certainly felt enormously harsh, although the officials will argue that contact was made by Calvert-Lewin’s studs on Nathaniel Clyne’s shin.”
‘There were no complaints from Crystal Palace players’
Kieran Gill of the Daily Mail wrote:
“The reaction from the 4,000 Evertonians upon seeing the replay of Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s straight red on Selhurst Park’s big screen said it all. Harsh in the extreme, as Sean Dyche admitted last night that VAR is testing his patience.
“Calvert-Lewin was dismissed for the first time in his career via a 79th-minute visit to the monitor. Referee Chris Kavanagh had not awarded a free-kick in real time against the 26-year-old striker. There were no complaints from Crystal Palace’s players. Nor the crowd.
“Replays showed how Calvert-Lewin glanced the shin of Nathaniel Clyne but in super slow-mo, it was made to look much worse than it was. That was enough to convince Kavanagh, however, as he reached for red.
“There was anger from the away end. Laughter from some home supporters. Bemusement on the benches, with Dyche saying they may appeal his three-match ban. They should.”
‘Rotten advert for the FA Cup’
Nick Ames of the Guardian wrote:
“What is VAR if not a distraction from the inconvenient business of football? This was a rotten advert for the FA Cup and a poor reflection on those who thought a Thursday night, fresh from a sprawling festive top-flight schedule, was the best time to kick off third round weekend. But football’s overuse of video intervention always leaves open the possibility of a flashpoint and controversy seekers were well served when, in the 79th minute of an earnestly fought but torpid draw, Dominic Calvert-Lewin was sent off.
“Nobody had batted much of an eyelid in real time when Calvert-Lewin challenged Nathaniel Clyne just outside the Crystal Palace penalty area. Clyne went tumbling but no foul was given and the Everton striker emerged with possession. Little seemed amiss until, more than half a minute later, the portentous news of a VAR review boomed out over the Selhurst Park public address system.
“After that, it appeared as though the result was predetermined: Christopher Kavanagh rushed to the screen, noticed Calvert-Lewin had entered with his studs up, took one look at his opponent’s right shin, and then produced the red card. It was really, really harsh.
“Calvert-Lewin appeared perplexed as he left after being fired for the first time in his professional life. The bar for VAR’s participation in English football appears to be near the ground right now; as a result, the circus all too frequently ignores in-depth study of a close game, which, even though it never threatened to become one, yet did the event a harm.”
‘Growing list of questionable decisions’
Joe Thomas of the Liverpool ECHO wrote:
“Same narrative, same conclusion, same annoyance and aggravation. VAR has tormented Everton like the ghosts of Christmases past, present, and future throughout a challenging festive fixture calendar. Now, that emotion has carried over into the upcoming year.
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