Sport nationDavid Moyes Slams VAR Decision as Everton Denied Late Penalty Against Manchester United
Everton manager David Moyes was left fuming after a contentious VAR decision denied his team a late penalty against Manchester United at Goodison Park. The Toffees had been awarded a spot-kick in the dying minutes of the match, only for referee Andy Madley to overturn his decision after consulting the VAR screen.
Moyes was adamant that the initial decision was correct, and that Manchester United’s Harry Maguire had indeed pulled Ashley Young’s jersey in the penalty area. “We’re all looking forward to a referee saying ‘no, no I’m sticking with it’,” Moyes said in his post-match interview. “If it’s absolutely clear and obvious that it’s wrong then fine, but I didn’t think VAR needed to get involved.”
The Everton manager elaborated on his comments in a separate interview with TNT Sports, stating that he had reviewed the footage and was convinced that the penalty should have been awarded. “I’ve had a look at it and he undoubtedly pulls his jersey,” Moyes said. “I thought the on-field decision was correct. I’m surprised it was asked to go to VAR. It looked difficult to change your mind. When they go to VAR it’s as if the people seeing it on the tele understand more.”
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim, on the other hand, was relieved that the VAR decision had gone in his team’s favor. “No I think it’s a soft touch, it was not [a penalty] from what I saw,” Amorim said in his post-match interview. “I think it was a soft penalty it was clear. If you start the game without the first-half, it was a good point, but we needed the three points.”
The draw was a frustrating result for both teams, with Everton squandering a 2-0 lead and Manchester United failing to capitalize on their second-half dominance. The result leaves Everton in a precarious position in the Premier League table, while Manchester United remain 15th and struggling to find consistency.
Moyes was philosophical about the result, acknowledging that his team had let a winning position slip away. “Today’s result was a good result, we gave away a couple of poor goals,” he said. “We have to get more points. We have to be more ruthless and take our chances.”
The VAR controversy will undoubtedly dominate the headlines in the coming days, with many pundits and fans weighing in on the decision. However, for Moyes and his team, the focus will be on bouncing back from the disappointment and securing a much-needed win in their next match.
As for Amorim and Manchester United, the draw will be seen as a missed opportunity to climb the table and build momentum. The Portuguese manager was candid about his team’s shortcomings, acknowledging that they need to improve their attacking play and become more clinical in front of goal.
“The worst part is we are losing the ball without pressure and not doing what we are supposed to do,” Amorim said. “And we are losing goals from second balls. We are soft. Not just scoring goals but creating chances we have to improve on that. We struggle with scoring goals. We have to continue to think in the next game and everything we do in the week we have to do in the game. If we don’t we won’t win. We need to survive this season, that is clear. We have so many problems. When you go to the game and we let the time pass, it is hard. By the end I think we were nearer to winning this game.”
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