Sean Dyche was left baffled by questions over an incident in which James Tarkowski appeared to pull down Joao Felix off the ball during Everton's 2-2 draw at Chelsea.
Felix was incensed after being brought down as the Chelsea forward charged forward in a move that had been started when he stole the ball from Everton centre-back James Tarkowski on the halfway line. Referee Darren England took no action and Felix picked himself up to shoot at Jordan Pickford seconds later.
Blues boss Dyche was quizzed over his view on the tussle after the match but dismissed claims it had been an act of “retribution” by simply denying that he had witnessed it. He also questioned the decision to award Chelsea a second-half penalty that, until Ellis Simms’ composed last-minute goal, looked set to win the match for the hosts.
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Felix had snatched the ball from Tarkowski on the halfway line, in front of the tunnel, to spur a Chelsea attack just before half-time. With the home side having switched play to the opposite flank, Everton’s right, Felix charged forward but went down under pressure from the England defender on the edge of the box. The Portugal international turned to the officials for support immediately after the incident but his claims for a free kick - and then later for Tarkowski to be booked - were ignored.
Asked what he thought, Dyche simply said: “I can’t remember that.” When told it occurred in front of him, he added: “I can’t remember that… I know I haven’t seen it, I must have been focusing on something else.”
Dyche was able to share his views on the second-half penalty given after Reece James went down under pressure from Ben Godfrey and Tarkwski. Referring to a similar incident in which Seamus Coleman was denied a penalty at Nottingham Forest because he was adjudged to made contact with the player behind him, Dyche said: “Seamus got in front, the lad comes behind, puts his legs in front of Seamus’, kicks the back of his leg, and it was deemed a definite not penalty. I thought today was a similar thing with Ben Godfrey, who just disrupts his run by just running with his legs in front of him… they are close, that is all I am saying.
“But if they are going to give it tonight then one has to go for us if something similar happens.”
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