Everton stars were quick to call out the decision which cost them their first points of the Premier League season after James Tarkowski conceded a penalty in the 82nd minute against Leeds.
The Toffees defender was caught by a streaking effort from Anton Stach, blocking the ball out of danger with his arm as he fell to the turf.
Although Tarkowski believed that his arm was in a natural position, the handball was given, forcing Jordan Pickford to test his mettle between the sticks for the visitors.
After looking the livelier side in the contest, Leeds were able to provide the difference on the scoresheet as debutant Lukas Nmecha was nerveless from the spot to hand the hosts the 1-0 win.
But despite the decision going to VAR, Everton fans were unconvinced by the call made by Chris Kavanagh, with Tarkowski’s among the loudest voices of protest.
‘Not a penalty,’ Tarkowski said adamantly when asked by Sky Sports. ‘As soon as the ref blew I was confident it would get overturned.
James Tarkowski was at fault for Leeds’ penalty during the host’s 1-0 win against Everton
The defender was the last line of defence as he attempted to block an effort from Anton Stach
But as Tarkowski leant into the block his arm kept the shot out and incurred a handball
‘My first question to him was, “If my arm is by my side – which it was – then is it a penalty?” He said “no”. I’ve since read that I’ve leaned into the ball but there’s nothing unnatural about my arm being by my side.
‘The ball is allowed to hit your arm it’s just not allowed to be away from your body unnaturally, so I can’t understand it really. The linesman gave it apparently and he was 45 yards away and I don’t understand how he can see what I’ve done with my arm from the angle.
‘Bizarre moment and it cost us a point in the end. I’m moving across with lots of bodies in front of me, the lad has struck it with pace, it took a deflection and I saw it last second.
‘I’m allowed to move my body in the direction of the ball,’ Tarkowski continued. ‘If it hits my arm by my side I don’t think that’s a penalty. Even the description that I leaned into it doesn’t make sense for me.’
Tarkowski’s manager David Moyes was similarly bullish about the unfair hand that Everton had been dealt in their season opener, and blasted the ‘poor decision’ in a charged post-match press conference.
‘I think the goal is completely wrong and really harsh so it’s difficult to lose on that,’ Moyes added. ‘They seem to think because you lean your arms can go away.
‘You’re allowed to lean in football – it took a deflection the ball. Tarky would have had to get his arm chopped off, it wasn’t doing anything different.
‘That decision was a poor decision and VAR had a chance to get that decision right and fair.’
David Moyes called out the ‘poor decision’ for being influenced in part by Elland Road fans
Tarkowski revealed that he had spoken to the referee and been convinced he was not to blame
Moyes even put some of the blame at the feet of the Elland Road faithful, continuing: ‘The crowd were probably the ones who were a bit intimidating. The crowd were fighting for everything, it is a poor decision.’
But in the Monday Night Football studio, pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher had a different view, with both the former players falling squarely in line with the verdict offered up by Kavanagh and Co.
‘I think it is handball,’ Jamie Carragher said. ‘I think he knows what he’s doing, Tarkowski, and it’s something I would do.
‘Has he lost his bearings there for a split second? Maybe it’s just reflexes.’
Adding a compliment for Kavanagh’s straight-forward refereeing, the Liverpool icon added: ‘It was a throwback to before VAR, referee makes a decision, looks to his assistant for guidance and thought “I’m going to give it”.
‘He thought it was a pen, waned confirmation, it was like an old-fashioned decision.’
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Neville was similarly full of praise for the decision-making, and pointed out the moment he understood to be Tarkowski’s acknowledgement that he had done something wrong.
‘I think it’s definitely a penalty, the distance its travelled,’ The ex-Manchester United man said. ‘Tarkowski is the type of defender that feels he needs to get in front of every shot.
‘The guilt is written all over his face. Tarkowski moved the arm towards the ball, leaned into it, blocked it and it’s a penalty.
‘I looked at his face and thought he knows he’s made a mistake. I think the ref is blocked and looks over to his linesman and the assistant ref has given it.’
