Arabic version: تسليط الضوء على جدل VAR في تعادل إيفرتون الدرامي مع مانشستر سيتي
Everton’s pulsating 3-3 draw with Manchester City was full of drama – late goals, a defensive calamity and, of course, a bit of video assistant referee (VAR) controversy. At the top of the list was Thierno Barry’s goal, with the Everton striker benefiting from being in an offside position thanks to a bizarre “assist” from City’s Marc Guehi.
Barry was waiting on the shoulder of Guehi, weighing up when to make his move as Merlin Rohl played a through ball. It was not a good pass by the German midfielder, straight to the feet of the Manchester City defender. While Barry had started to move towards Guehi, he was not placing the opponent under pressure. Inexplicably, Guehi under hit a back pass which Barry latched on to to score. Barry was offside and the assistant raised his flag to disallow the goal initially, but he was quickly overruled by referee Michael Oliver.
According to BBC News, the situation raised questions about the offside law, specifically whether Barry’s positioning influenced Guehi’s mistake. Former players argued that Guehi’s lack of control over the pass negated the offside call, showcasing a unique aspect of the rule that can sometimes disadvantage defenders.
The match also saw Everton manager David Moyes express disbelief over a missed penalty call when Bernardo Silva pulled down Merlin Rohl in the closing minutes. Moyes criticized the decision, stating that it sets a concerning precedent for future matches regarding what constitutes a foul during set pieces.
Additionally, there was scrutiny over a potential red card for Everton’s Michael Keane after a challenge on Jeremy Doku. Although Keane received only a yellow card, commentators noted that the intensity of the tackle could have warranted a stricter penalty.
With three rounds remaining in the Premier League, Everton remains frustrated, being the only team without a VAR decision in their favor this season. This situation adds to their woes as they seek to improve their standing in the league.
