Frank Lampard said Everton should have had a penalty in their Merseyside derby defeat and argued it would have been given had Mohamed Salah gone down in the box at Anfield, rather than Anthony Gordon.
Winger Gordon, who had already been booked for diving, was nudged over by Joel Matip, eight minutes before Andy Robertson scored the opener in Liverpool’s 2-0 win.
It leaves Everton in the relegation zone for the first time this season while Lampard, citing his experience during his playing days with Chelsea, claimed decisions tend to go the way of top clubs.
The Everton manager said: “It was a penalty. If that was Mo Salah at the other end, he gets a penalty. You don’t get them here. That’s the reality of football sometimes.”
Lampard had decided against approaching referee Stuart Attwell after the final whistle to discuss the decision: “I think they are open to it now but it is gone,” he said. “It is a disappointment, in the cold light of day I think it is a penalty.”
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp disagreed with the Englishman and claimed Gordon was fortunate to stay on the pitch, saying: “It [the second] was clearly no penalty. He’s really good but he’s lucky not to get a second yellow. The first was not a penalty and the second wasn’t.”
Everton denied Liverpool a shot on target in the opening hour but Lampard urged his players to build on their performance as he vowed not to admit defeat in their battle against the drop.
“I’m proud and happy with the performance,” he added. “We have to take that spirit forward to the final games. The result is [disappointing] but the performance isn’t. I’m very pleased and proud of the work ethic. We didn’t get the clinical finishes at 0-0. We’ll give everything until the end.”
Everton lost defender Ben Godfrey with a quad muscle injury in the warm-up. “I am hoping it is minor,” Lampard said.
