The Premier League has confirmed its stance on the latest Everton VAR controversy, which occurred during the match against Arsenal. Despite a VAR check, referee Michael Oliver allowed Kai Havertz’s late goal to stand, sparking fury from Everton manager Sean Dyche.
The goal was controversial as it hit the arm of Gabriel Jesus in the build-up, leading to questions about whether it should have been disallowed for handball. However, Oliver decided against overturning his original call after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor.
Dyche was left frustrated and bemused by the decision, stating, “Funny how it is in a title race and it goes the other way.” He added, “We are all worried about handball, we are not quite sure where it lives. That for me is a really obvious one, they go over to the monitor and… it’s handball dead into his path, he runs through and they score from it. That one for me has got to be given.”
The incident has sparked debate about the consistency of VAR decisions and the impact they have on the game. The Premier League’s stance on the matter remains that the decision was correct, but the controversy is likely to continue.