Patrick Vieira said he had no comment to make following footage of him appearing to kick an Everton fan on the Goodison Park pitch at full-time.
The Eagles suffered a dramatic 3-2 defeat on Meryseide that saw the Toffees secure their Premier League status for another season, though the match was marred by two pitch invasions from home fans. The first occurred after Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored the winner late on before hundreds more supporters streamed onto the pitch at full-time once safety was confirmed.
Footage circulated at full-time showing the Frenchman being goaded by fans, with the Palace manager initially not responding before kicking out at the support. When asked in his post-match press conference about the incident, Vieira said: “I do not have anything to say about that.”
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Tensions were already soaring to fever pitch well before kick-off in Merseyside as Everton fans lined the streets outside Goodison Park to welcome Frank Lampard and his players to the biggest match of their season. Smoke bombs and flares were let off to create a sea of blue, with the atmosphere only getting more intense when the match started.
Goals for Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jordan Ayew did little to ease the tension, with Everton players initially being booed off the pitch at half-time before a tidal wave of support followed. That deafening noise didn’t stop during the second period and clearly, it made an impact on proceedings, with Michael Keane pulling one goal back on 54 minutes before Richarlison blasted home the leveller with 15 still to play.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin somehow then turned the decibel levels up another notch as he secured a historic comeback for the Toffees with a header past Jack Butland in the 85th minute. The Toffees held on until the final whistle, at which point streams of Everton fans poured onto the pitch in celebration.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Everton manager Frank Lampard said: "I feel for Patrick. I didn’t get him at the end but I wanted him to come in with us. I know how managers feel. Of course, he’s running 80 yards across the pitch which is tough."
