Frank Lampard blamed referee Michael Oliver and his officials after Everton missed the chance to secure their Premier League safety.
Everton were leading 1-0 when they had Jarrad Branthwaite sent off and Lampard claimed they should have had a penalty for a shirt pull on Richarlison seconds before. Their 10 men led 2-1 before Brentford scored twice to turn the game on its head and Everton finished with nine players when Salomon Rondon was dismissed late on.
“I thought it was a penalty, it was a clear shirt pull, it’s a foul in the box,” said the Blues boss. “If you’re asking Richarlison to go down for it, then you’re asking people to fall on the floor. My players have been criticised in my opinion when they shouldn't be for going down recently for fouls that are fouls so I think that was a penalty. I can’t complain with the red after that.
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“I’ve got a lot of respect for the referee and the VARs because they do one of the toughest jobs. The reality is we’re on bad end of a lot of decisions this season. That’s just a reality and it’s hard because I have to represent the club and fans and those small margins can affect our position.
“Penalty on the shirt pull maybe means 2-0 and 11 men and I think we all know how that game goes.”
Lampard also felt Mads Sorensen should have been sent off for a second yellow for fouling Richarlison for the spot-kick for Everton’s second goal.
“The most frustrating thing is having to come to speak about it,” he said, “I’m fed up speaking about it because this has happened regularly against us. I’m probably going to do a Zoom charge this week and put my case from the Liverpool game so what’s the point in me saying too much about it now?”
