Frank Lampard was left flabbergasted by the decision to not award Everton a 17th minute penalty that he insisted would have transformed the contest against Brentford.
Richarlison was grabbed by Brentford defender Kristoffer Ajer but VAR Darren England did not believe match official Michael Oliver had missed a clear and obvious error.
Lampard, who is facing an FA charge following comments he made after last month’s Merseyside derby, was at pains not to overstep the mark following his side’s 3-2 defeat but made it clear he is dismayed that a number of huge decisions have gone against Everton.
Frank Lampard was left flabbergasted by the decision not to award Everton a penalty
‘I don’t want a double fine, do you know what I mean?’ said Lampard, with some gallows humour. ‘This is part of what I want to say when I talk about what happened at Anfield. I wasn’t speaking about Stuart Attwell, I wasn’t speaking about individuals.
‘I was speaking about pressure situations and how it changes people. It was pretty clear to me when you see that shirt pull that’s a foul anywhere on the pitch. This clear and obvious phrase, I don’t know if it still counts but it’s a nonsense.
‘The decision is either right or it’s wrong and if a referee can’t see it clearly or they’re in the wrong position and they get the benefit of someone else, they don’t have to tell them about a benefit of doubt. Is a shirt pull a foul? Yes. Is it in the box? Yes. It’s a penalty.
Richarlison’s shirt was pulled by Kristoffer Ajer but the referee did not award a penalty
‘I’ve got a lot of respect for the referee and the VARs because they do one of the toughest jobs. The reality is we’re on bad end of a lot of decisions this season. It’s hard because I have to represent the club and fans and those small margins can affect our position.’
Thomas Frank, meanwhile, was elated with Brentford’s efforts and promised they will go all out for three points against Leeds – a result that would save Everton.
‘If you finish in the top 10, it’s worth a few quid,’ said the Dane.
‘If you have been in the Premier League for 10 years, there is not much difference between ninth and eleventh. For us to be in the top 10, would be massive. Next week is a cup final. We give it absolutely everything.’
Everton fell to a 3-2 defeat by Brentford in the Premier League at Goodison Park on Sunday
