Frank Lampard did not celebrate Conor Coady's Merseyside derby goal before it was disallowed because he expected it to be ruled out.
Asked why, he initially said: "We're Everton aren't we." The decision to strike it out for offside has since fallen under scrutiny - just like with the Virgil van Dijk tackle on Amadou Onana that drew a yellow, not red card. While far from the most controversial refereeing decisions of the weekend, both appear to occupy frustrating grey areas that have left experienced referees struggling to explain the calls.
The decisions were overshadowed by the fallout from other games - with VAR interventions dismissing goals for Newcastle United and West Ham United that refereeing representative body the PGMOL has reportedly accepted were mistakenly ruled out. Newcastle have submitted an official complaint and a number of Premier League clubs are said to be compiling lists of decisions that have gone against them.
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Lampard has seen a host of controversial calls go against his Everton side - hence his decision not to celebrate Coady's second half strike. If the Blues were, like others, compiling a list of what they believe to have been dodgy decisions, these are seven matches that would likely feature.
Van Dijk's tackle on Onana
With just over 20 minutes to go in a pulsating derby, a red card for Van Dijk could have swung the advantage in Everton's favour. Instead his late lunge led to a yellow card despite contact starting on Onana's shin.
Lampard was more diplomatic than after the last derby, when the questions he posed about the failure to award Everton a penalty led to him being fined £30,000 for breaching FA rules. On Saturday, he said: "I love Virgil van Dijk. As a player he is fantastic. Sometimes you mistime tackles and they look bad, or they are bad, or they potentially are bad. If you look at the moment he connects with Amadou up on his shin and Amadou's foot is on the ground then I am surprised it hasn't gone to VAR and the referee hasn't gone to look at it and make what I think was the correct decision... For me, it was a red card and of course that changes the face of the last 20 minutes or whatever."
Diego Carlos on Mason Holgate
Everton fell to defeat at Aston Villa in a close game that burst into life with Onana's introduction for his Premier League debut in the final eight minutes. With Villa 1-0 up heading into half-time, a corner fell into the path of Mason Holgate in the home side's box. As the Blues defender lined up a shot he was taken out by a flying Diego Carlos tackle that left him in a heap on the ground.
Jordan Ayew on Anthony Gordon
The dramatic comeback win over Crystal Palace sealed Everton's top flight status and will go down as an unforgettable night for everyone who was there. At half-time, trailing by two goals, the Blues' plight was looking grim. Amid the fear and frustration as the relegation battle threatened to be continued to the Emirates on the final day of the season, there was also anger. Jordan Ayew had scythed down Anthony Gordon in front of the dugouts in a high tackle that many believed should have seen a straight red card.
The decision was assessed by VAR Mike Dean, but it was decided that it did not meet the threshold for a red card - despite being acknowledged as "reckless". Ayew went on to score minutes later, though the rest is history.
Brentford, Brentford, Brentford
Everton's fight for survival extended to the Palace game after a chaotic match against Brentford in which the Blues finished with just nine men. Amid a glut of controversial calls Jarrad Branthwaite was sent off for bringing down Ivan Toney in a Brentford attack that stemmed from a move in which Richarlison had clear claims for a penalty. When Everton did get a penalty later in the first half, they were left questioning how the foul that gave it away did not lead to a second yellow card for Mads Bech Sorensen. Everton went 2-1 up but eventually lost 3-2.
Joel Matip on Anthony Gordon
Lampard was furious over the decision not to award Everton a penalty at Anfield in April. With the score goalless on an afternoon in which Everton had fallen into the bottom three, Gordon burst into the box and went down under pressure from Matip. PGMOL reportedly said there would have been "no complaints" from them had a penalty been awarded.
After the game, Lampard said: "It is a penalty in the second half. I don’t think you get them here. I think probably if that is Mo Salah at the other end, you get a penalty. And I'm not trying to create conflict there, I think it is just the reality of football sometimes... For me, for sure, that was a penalty the second one on Anthony. It was a foul, it was a clear foul. But you don't get them here."
Everton wrote to PGMOL demanding an explanation over the call.
Allan's red card against Newcastle
Everton won this match 1-0, but only after Allan saw red. The decision ruled him out of two important Premier League matches in the relegation run-in - which were both lost.
Allan was initially shown a yellow card for a cynical tackle on Allan Saint-Maximin as the forward looked to set Newcastle on a counter-attack. However, on this occasion VAR called on the referee to take another look and his decision was upgraded to a red card. In a sign of their view on the incident, the Blues appealed against the dismissal and requested to have the ban reduced. Both were declined.
The Rodri handball
Everton received an apology from PGMOL for one of the most contentious decisions the club fell on the wrong side of - the failure to award a penalty at home to Manchester City for handball against Rodri. On-field official Paul Tierney waved away Blues complaints and then VAR Chris Kavanagh at Stockley Park, having reviewed the call, decided that there was not enough clear evidence to overturn and give Everton a penalty.
In his post-match press conference, Lampard said: "We've lost a point potentially while we're fighting for our life by a professional who can't do his job right. And that's amazing. I'll wait until the statement or the apology or whatever they do when they give a statement about things that were wrong, but it will mean nothing."
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