Everton were defeated in heartbreaking fashion against Manchester City in a game that featured several talking points.
David Moyes’ side showcased their resilience against the defending Premier League champions on Saturday (19 April), but were ultimately defeated 2-0.
An 84th-minute goal from Nico O’Reilly opened the scoring, with Mateo Kovacic rounding things out in the 92nd minute in a scoreline that flattered Pep Guardiola’s men.
It was a frustrating end to the game for the Toffees, who have enjoyed a miraculous turnaround during the latter stages of the season after Moyes replaced Sean Dyche.
Everton are pushing to move up the Premier League table and finish as high as possible ahead of next season, where they will aim to progress.
However, Everton ended up coming away from Goodison Park with nothing to show for it against Guardiola’s side, despite their performance, but they did feel that they should’ve had a penalty.
Gallagher weighs in on decisions
One of the big talking points from the game was when Jack Harrison felt he had earned his team a penalty when he flicked the ball in the box, and it appeared to hit Savinho’s hand.
The Merseyside giants believed that they should have been awarded a penalty in that moment, but nothing was given.
Former Premier League official Dermot Gallagher weighed in on that decision during the latest Ref Watch segment on Sky Sports News (21 April: 11:18am), where he backed his fellow referee.
Gallagher simply said: “It comes off his own body, not his hand.”
Everton were almost punished over a penalty call
Savinho attempted to get a penalty in the 14th minute of the game when he clashed with Harrison inside the Everton box.
It was a moment that could have defined the game if the visitors had been awarded it, but despite a VAR check, the decision went against Savinho.
That was a decision that Gallagher felt was made correctly, as he didn’t buy into it being a penalty in the moment.
He said: “There’s minimal contact. I didn’t think it was a penalty then, and I don’t think it was now.”
Ultimately, the visitors took all three points regardless of the decisions made on the day, and that’s something that Moyes’ men will have to try and put behind them when they return to action on Saturday (26 April) at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.
Dermot Gallagher reacts to Everton v Manchester City controversy
