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“100 per cent a foul what a luck, penalty should have been awarded to Manchester City, the referee should have sent him off the pitch”- Everton told they were ‘lucky’ to escape significant referee error in their draw against Manchester City
Everton returned to Merseyside with a crucial point from their Boxing Day match against Manchester City.
Under Sean Dyche, the team has been improving, going four games unbeaten, with three of those being commendable draws. However, the outcome could have been different, as Jordan Pickford saved a penalty from Erling Haaland in the second half.
The draw helped keep Everton out of the relegation zone for now, ahead of their upcoming weekend match against Nottingham Forest. But the Toffees may feel fortunate after a major error by the referee at the Etihad.
Dyche criticized Vitaliy Mykolenko’s foul in the second half, calling it “lazy.” On Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher expressed his surprise at the challenge. “100% a foul. It’s reckless. The referee was focused on awarding the foul, and the yellow card might have been overlooked,” Gallagher said.
Mykolenko seemed to realize his luck, as he looked at the referee, perhaps expecting a stronger punishment. The Ukrainian was fortunate to avoid a yellow card, with Pickford’s penalty save likely sparing him from further scrutiny.
Mykolenko’s performance highlighted Everton’s need for a new left-back in January, as his display at the Etihad was far from impressive.
The foul on Haaland has drawn significant criticism, especially given Mykolenko’s lazy swipe at the ball against a fast winger. What went unnoticed, however, was that Mykolenko had already been booked in the first half. His performance on Boxing Day contrasted sharply with his strong display against Chelsea just days earlier.
The failure to issue a yellow card for the foul suggests a referee mistake, and since the incident was not deemed a red card offense, VAR did not review it.
