Frank Lampard said VAR failed Coventry after three contentious decisions went against his side in their 3-1 defeat by Everton on Friday night.
Two penalty appeals were rejected before Everton’s second goal, scored by Barry, was allowed to stand despite claims the ball had struck his hand. All three incidents were reviewed by VAR officials Timothy Wood and Gary Beswick, while referee Stuart Attwell also declined to award a penalty on the pitch.
Coventry had taken the lead after the two penalty appeals, but Everton recovered to win on Merseyside. Lampard said the decisions had altered the course of the match.
“I hate to sound like a moaner. It’s a football match and if you win the game, that can happen here,” he said. “I’m not trying to talk about the circumstances of the actual football, but when big decisions change games, they absolutely do. It’s disappointing. VAR is there for that and it didn’t do its job.”
Coventry penalty appeals rejected
The first disputed moment came late in the opening half, when James Tarkowski challenged for a high ball. He appeared to catch Ethan Pinnock with an elbow and pull the hair of Caleb Yirenkyi as the Coventry player attempted to jump.
The incident was reviewed, but no card or penalty was awarded. Premier League guidance states that a red card should be shown for a clear and deliberate hair pull carried out with excessive force or brutality, while a yellow card may be issued where those factors are absent.
Lampard believed the action should still have resulted in a foul and a penalty. “Seeing it back, he pulls on Caleb’s hair while competing with Ethan,” he said. “I thought the rules were clear. I know they’ve changed the rules so it’s no red card, I get that too. But he’s pulling on his hair and [Yirenkyi] can’t get his momentum to jump.”
Former England midfielder Jamie Redknapp agreed that the challenge should have been penalised, although he did not believe it warranted a red card. “He yanks it down. Is it excessive force? Probably not, but he pulls his hair, stopping any elevation,” Redknapp said. “It’s a definite penalty for me.”
Early in the second half, Taiwo Awoniyi went down after contact from Vitalii Mykolenko while driving into the Everton penalty area. Attwell again said play should continue, and the VAR review concluded that the contact had occurred outside the box.
Lampard disputed that conclusion, arguing that Awoniyi’s foot and knee were on the penalty-area line. Redknapp also described it as a penalty, saying: “Awoniyi puts his right foot across and then Mykolenko just gets him. It’s on the line. It’s a definite foul.”
Barry goal cleared after handball check
Everton’s second goal provided the third major point of contention. Barry bundled the ball into the net from Tyrique George’s cross, with the ball bouncing around his body in the build-up.
VAR checked whether the ball had struck Barry’s hand but found no conclusive evidence to overturn the goal. The decision was later explained by Wood, who said: “Okay, that’s his side, that’s definitely not hand. Confirming on-field decision of goal.”
Lampard maintained that the goal should have been disallowed. “Barry’s second goal comes off his hand,” he said. “His last touch flicks it in the net. It was a really quick check as well. People may disagree, but it’s my opinion.”
Barry rejected the controversy after scoring twice. “A goal is goal! I scored two goals today,” he said. “It’s the job of the striker to score. I’m in a good moment and I try to keep this feeling.”
Redknapp said detailed replays had persuaded him that the ball touched Barry’s hand, but felt the evidence was not sufficiently clear for VAR to intervene. “It’s not as conclusive as we’d like to see for them [VAR] to intervene,” he said, adding that the contact appeared accidental.
Everton manager David Moyes acknowledged Coventry’s frustration but said his own team had also felt aggrieved by decisions in recent matches. “I’m bothered because we want it [the result] to be right, but we’ve had a few decisions recently where we don’t think have gone our way,” he said.
