Retired Top Ref Clattenburg Was Right; Everton’s Cancelled Late Goal Against Man Utd Should Have Stood News

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Retired Top Ref Clattenburg Was Right; Everton’s Cancelled Late Goal Against Man Utd Should Have Stood

By Daily Sports on March 3, 2020

The controversy of VAR continues with almost every game played in Europe. On Sunday the focus on VAR shifted to Goodison Park, the home of English premier league side Everton who hosted and battled Manchester United to a thrilling 2-2 draw.

At the dying minutes of the game, Everton thought they had scored the winner when Dominic Calvert-Lewin saw his shot deflected past United’s ’keeper David De Gea.

But after VAR check, it was deemed that Gylfi Sigurdsson who was lying on the floor in an offside position had interfered with play and had affected the decision of De Gea, making it impossible for him to make a save. Really? Hmm.

From the real time action, as well as from the replays I saw, I felt sure that that was certainly not the case. De Gea had been wrong-footed by the deflection of his own defender and would not have been able to get to the ball even if Sigurdsson wasn’t sitting where he was.

And then, crucially as well, Siggurdson was not blocking the view of De Gea when the ball came. Sigurdsson’s movement of his leg (when he withdrew it from the ball) really didn’t impact on De Gea’s ability to make a save, even if the Spanish goalie raised his hands to suggest otherwise as he despairingly watched the ball roll into the net.

It is refreshing to see a retired and highly rated English premier league referee Mark Clattenburg come out to disagree with the decision of his former colleagues who have affirmed that the VAR’s call was correct. I agree totally with Clattenburg when he wrote in The Daily Mail: “When Calvert-Lewin got his effort away, Sigurdsson was in an offside position, but the Everton midfielder did not touch the ball.

“So was he in De Gea's line of vision? The goalkeeper had full view of the ball when Calvert-Lewin took his shot and only the deflection off Harry Maguire left him with no chance of making a save.

“Therefore, I would have let this goal stand. VAR must have deemed Sigurdsson was interfering with De Gea’s vision to give offside.”

Source Daily Sports

Posted March 3, 2020