British media ‘Daily Star’ reported on the 24th (Korea Standard Time) that “Everton was furious when the second ball entered the stadium and stopped the threatening attack on Tottenham.”
Everton lost 1-2 against Tottenham Hotspur in the 18th round of the Premier League in the 2023/24 season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England on the 24th, conceding back-to-back goals to Hicharlisson and Son Heung-min in the first half.
Everton, which had recently won four consecutive league games, gave up the first goal in the first nine minutes of the first half by being hit by Hisharlisson, and was on the verge of defeat as they allowed Son Heung-min to score an additional goal in the 18th minute of the first half in a mixed situation in front of the net. From the second half, Andre Gomes scored a comeback goal in the 37th minute of the second half, but failed to even tie the score, giving Tottenham three points.
Due to the defeat to Tottenham, Everton have suspended their winning streak in the league from four games to maintain their 16th and 16th places. Everton, which had eight wins, two draws and eight losses in 18 games this season, should have 26 points, but due to a penalty of 10 points cut due to the club’s excessive deficit, it will remain in 16th place, just two notches above the relegation zone. On the other hand, Tottenham had 36 points (11 wins, three draws and four losses), jumping to fourth place, beating Manchester City (34 points), which had played one game less.
The game was played with two balls on the ground, creating a big buzz. The situation came in the 41st minute of the first half. Right back Nathan Patterson attempted a cut-back pass in front of the net after successfully breaking through the right side in the situation of Everton’s attack. The pass went the other way as both Everton and Tottenham players, who were right in front of the net, passed by.
At this time, left-back Vitali Mykolenko rushed to the ball from the other side. Coming into the box, Mykolenko beat the defender and took the opportunity to shoot freely without any interference. It could have led to a score depending on the shooting trajectory, but two balls were placed in front of Mykolenko, hindering his judgment.
Mykolenko succeeded in kicking the ball handed to him by Patterson, but failed to connect with an effective shot as another ball in front of him was disturbed and failed to take a proper shot. After Mykolenko’s shot went out of the line, Everton players immediately approached the referee and protested the situation at the time.
According to soccer regulations, if another ball or spectator enters the ground, the referee will immediately stop the game. However, all the referees, including the referee in charge of the game, did not recognize another ball that entered the ground, so they continued to play as it was, hindering Everton’s attack. 스포츠토토
When the golden opportunity to attack was dashed by the referees’ carelessness, Everton’s coach Sean Dyke was also furious and argued with the atmosphere.
Everton fans couldn’t hold back their anger, either. They complained to the referees who couldn’t find another ball that had entered the stadium. According to media, fans criticized on social media, saying, “What just happened? Absolutely kidding,” “The referee, the assistant referee, the atmosphere, VAR, how did everyone not find it?” “There are two balls in the stadium. It’s a skit,” and “Everton was robbed.”
The media also said, “Some people expressed their anger, complaining that the referee should have given Everton a chance to take a penalty, claiming that it was ‘complete nonsense.’
Meanwhile, Daichi once again expressed his anger when Everton’s score was canceled due to VAR review, in addition to the scene where the ball came in from outside and interfered with the attack. Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored a comeback goal in the 6th minute of the second half, but the VAR confirmed Gomes’ foul on Emerson Royal before the score was scored, so Calvert-Lewin’s comeback was not recognized.
According to Britain’s Sky Sports, Daichi complained in an interview after the game, saying, “I’m a big fan of VAR, but I don’t know where VAR is because I judged that the referee and the assistant referee made a clear decision today.”