Everton were denied all three points as VAR ruled out a goal deep into stoppage-time against Man Utd
Monday 2 March 2020 12:28, UK
Dominic Calvert-Lewin called the controversial decision to rule out Everton's late goal against Manchester United a "disaster".
VAR ruled out Calvert-Lewin's deflected stoppage-time strike in the 1-1 draw after the technology adjudged that Gylfi Sigurdsson, who was laying prone in an offside position, interfered with play as the the ball went into the bottom corner past David de Gea.
It looked highly unlikely De Gea would have saved the shot anyway but the goal was chalked off, leaving Everton incensed as Carlo Ancelotti was sent off for remonstrating with the match officials at full time.
"That is a disaster," Calvert-Lewin said, when shown the goal immediately after the game, "Oh my gosh. He's not even obstructing the line of sight."
The Everton striker then gave a more measured response in his post-match interview, adding: "In the moment, I wasn't sure. Seeing it back I think Gylfi on the floor doesn't obstruct the line of sight.
"Fair enough, he's in an offside position but then it takes a deflection, the keeper is going the other way and he's got his legs out of the way. The keeper is never going to save the ball so I'm not sure what it is.
"For me, as a striker, I think it's a goal but VAR says otherwise and cancels out the emotion at the end. What can you do?"
Everton boss Ancelotti was sent off after making his way onto the pitch to demand an explanation from referee Chris Kavanagh and refusing to move when asked to by the official.
He spoke at length to the officials beneath the stand after the game and was adamant De Gea's vision was not impacted by Sigurdsson's positioning, even if he was offside.
"I asked the referee to explain after the game and then he sent me off the pitch. After that I spoke with him, had a conversation and this conversation we will keep private," Ancelotti told Sky Sports.
"It was a borderline situation in the sense that Gylfi was offside, but in our opinion he didn't affect the vision of the goalkeeper. It's really difficult to decide but anyway the game is finished, it's a draw and we played really well. I'm happy with this."
When quizzed on whether he had been sent off before in his managerial career, the Everton boss looked to defuse the situation by lightheartedly responding: "It's not the first time and it won't be the last.
"At the end of the game I was a little bit nervous, maybe the referee was also. We spoke friendly after game, no problem. Honestly, it was a difficult decision. It's a really difficult decision."
Ancelotti's Everton travel to his former club Chelsea - where he won the Double in 2009/10 - next week on Super Sunday, and the Italian is hopeful his sending off will no impact his return to Stamford Bridge.
"For sure, I didn't disrespect the referee," he added. "I can understand for them, the end of the game was really impressive, exciting with a lot of important decisions, but I didn't disrespect him.
"The referee is going to give his report to the FA and we will see if I am banned or not. If I am banned I will be disappointed, but Stamford Bridge is really close to the bench, so I will be there."
While Everton were aggrieved by the decision to rule out their winning goal, Sky Sports pundits Roy Keane and Graeme Souness both felt the correct decision was reached by the officiating team.
"He was [in the line of sight]. It takes a big deflection but he was," Souness said. "The law is about being in the line of sight. If there is somebody there and I'm the goalkeeper, he's on the ground and in the line of sight.
"I'm looking beyond him and through him but there is no doubt about, he's smack bang in the middle of it. Where the shot is coming from he's looking over the head of Sigurdsson. He must be in his sight. The deflection confuses everybody but for me he's definitely in the goalkeeper's eyeline."
Keane felt the fact it was a late goal and would have handed Everton a dramatic three points meant the reaction to it being disallowed was "more emotional than normal".
"I don't think he would have saved it but they got to the right decision," the former United captain explained. "Sometimes it's so late in the game and it's going to be the winning goal, people are even more emotional than normal. But it has to be [disallowed].
"I'd be annoyed with Sigurdsson for not getting out of the way. He sits there and please tell me what's he waiting for? You've got to try and clear the area, that's common sense. I understand why Everton are disappointed but it's the correct call."
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer felt it was the right move to rule the goal out and revealed De Gea told him he had been distracted by Sigurdsson's presence.
"I don't think so, I'd have to accept it because they probably know the rules," Solskjaer said, when asked if he would have had a similar reaction to Ancelotti.
"David said he was distracted so that is probably enough, even though he might not have saved it anyway if he [Sigurdsson] wasn't there."
Almost 12 months on from Solskjaer's lowest moment as United manager - a 4-0 thumping at Goodison Park in April 2019 - the Norwegian looked in store for another torrid afternoon on Merseyside when Calvert-Lewin forced a calamitous error from De Gea to put the Toffees ahead inside three minutes.
"The start was the worst possible one," Solskjaer said. "You might start to think 'here we go again'. But the reaction after was fantastic, we played really well, got the goal we deserved, created chances and played in their half.
"Then we stopped playing again and second half they were better than us. But I don't think either team didn't deserve a point here today."
Bruno Fernandes equalised with his third goal in the three games before half-time and Solsjkaer was pleased with contribution.
"It was a good goal, a first time pass by Nemanja (Matic) in our press," he added. "There is a missed pass by them but Bruno's striking the ball from outside the box. He did have a few strikes, but the goal was good. He's always trying to create something, create goals or create chances and sometimes he misses and sometimes he scores.
