In retrospect, Everton’s draw against Brighton and Hove Albion yesterday was arguably a fair result, even though they led for the majority of the game.
After all, even though Vitaliy Mykolenko gave them an early lead, they hardly saw the ball again, with their main offensive weapon being swift and cutting counterattacks.
Although they deserved to have plenty of chances in the first half, as the game progressed, fatigued players’ chances drastically decreased, and the contest turned into an attack versus defense contest.
Sean Dyche, though, thought his team ought to have had more time to extend their lead before Kaoru Mitoma’s deflected cross beat Jordan Pickford to draw even.
The former Burnley manager said to BBC Sport, “I spoke to the referee briefly and mentioned that the center-half was the wrong side of Dom and that is when you get your arms around someone,” after Jan Paul van Hecke shoved Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
“The challenge begins outside, the ball drops, and he drags him inside the box, but it was a really crucial call that went against us.” I’m not sure how it worked against us because I assumed it was evident.
Should Everton have had a penalty vs. Brighton?
After all, just last month, Manchester City was awarded a penalty against their rivals, thanks to Rasmus Hojlund’s pull-back on Rodri, which helped them to a 3-0 victory.
Consistency is all that supporters ask of officials, yet it seems like every week a crazy choice is made. Even though the particular one isn’t likely to spark a lot of media discussion, it does provide a good illustration of how the game’s rules can change depending on the situation.
Even though Tim Robinson had a largely uneventful afternoon at Goodison Park, it appears that he made a crucial decision that might have been crucial for the Everton team, who is currently awaiting the outcome of a possible 12-point deduction for financial misconduct.
Calvert-Lewin was obviously being manhandled by Van Hecke, and this was not the only time Everton players were given extreme physical treatment in the opposition’s box.
Maybe the Toffees would have won three points if a penalty had been given by a more strict referee on a different day.
