Coventry City manager Frank Lampard has publicly criticized three controversial VAR decisions following his team's 3-1 defeat to Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Friday night. Despite Yann Gboho giving Coventry an early lead, the Toffees secured the victory through a rapid double by Thierno Barry and a strike from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
Lampard expressed significant frustration with the officiating, arguing that three specific incidents should have resulted in favorable calls for his side. The first point of contention occurred in the first half when Everton defender James Tarkowski appeared to pull the hair of Coventry’s Caleb Yirenkyi inside the penalty area. Although referee Stuart Attwell dismissed the appeals, Lampard noted the difficulty of the decision, stating, “They are saying it’s not enough of a pull and I think it’s a hard area to be.”
The second major flashpoint arrived early in the second half, involving a challenge on Taiwo Awoniyi by Mykolenko. Lampard firmly believed the incident warranted a penalty kick, telling reporters, “Taiwo, for me, on the line of the box is a penalty. You’ve got to give the foul in real time anyway; the ref did let it go, and I felt it was a penalty.”
“The Barry one is a handball, I have heard they are saying it didn’t touch his hand, but I have seen an angle where he has flicked it in with the final touch. VAR is there for that,” Lampard added.
The most contentious of the three calls concerned Barry’s second goal, which was reviewed for potential handball but ultimately allowed to stand. Lampard disputed the decision, claiming he had seen footage indicating the ball was flicked in with a final touch by the defender. He argued that the Video Assistant Referee system was specifically designed to address such nuances.
While Everton’s quickfire response turned the match in their favor, the post-match comments from Coventry’s boss highlight the ongoing debate surrounding the consistency and interpretation of VAR interventions in the Premier League.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
