'Makes you weep' – VAR blasted for 'destroying the game' after Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees red for Everton against Crystal Palace in FA Cup

VAR was blasted again after Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin was shown a harsh red against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Calvert-Lewin given marching orders against Palace
• VAR urged referee Chris Kavanagh to check the monitor
• Appeared to have made minimal contact with Nathaniel Clyne

• Table of Contents

  Toggle

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The striker was given marching orders after VAR urged the referee, Chris Kavanagh, to have a look at the pitchside monitor. The striker slid in on Nathaniel Clyne in an attempt to win the ball and although it seemed that he had won the ball with minimal contact on Clyne, Kavanagh took out the red card, much to the surprise of the entire Everton bench.

Advertisement

• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT THE RED CARD

  Infuriated Everton fans slammed the decision as disgraceful, while skipper Seamus Coleman also slammed VAR for its role.

  "When you slow it down it is obviously going to look bad," Coleman told ITV.

  "From where I was it was a good tackle. I saw the replay after and don't know who the fingers need to be pointed at, as soon as the ref goes over there [to the screen] you know he is going to give a red card. Listen, it has been a big talking point. For me, that is not a red card and it is another decision that goes against us that maybe won't be talked about as much."

  Meanwhile, Jeff Stelling, the former Soccer Saturday presenter and Hartlepool United President, said: "Seriously a red card for Calvert Lewin? Does anybody honestly believe the game is better for VAR? Makes you weep how the governing bodies/PGMOL are destroying our beloved game."

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It was Calvert-Lewin's first red card of his career in an otherwise dull snoozefest at Selhurst Park on Thursday evening. Everton boss, Sean Dyche, also ripped apart VAR for forcing the red card as the studs had hardly made contact with Clyne’s shin.

  "'I haven't asked Dominic Calvert-Lewin [about the red]. The slow motion shows a different picture," he said.

  "'If you want to slow-mo everything, you have to slow-mo everything. There could have been a penalty on Beto. There's minor contact, in live time he doesn't give anything, then they slow it down and everything looks worse [in] slow [motion]

  'It seems a bit confused at the moment. I said recently, we had another one, where I said I don't know who is refereeing which. I am a fan, (but) I definitely think we're all aware it needs tidying up. I thought it was getting tidied up, and then it seems to have stepped back a bit," he added.

  "I remain a fan at this stage, but it is beginning to test my patience even because I look at the obvious offsides which I think are fair, that should be there, some of the others I'm going well, what's got a chance now of being let play and what's got a chance of being called, but we don't actually know.'"

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  The club have unsurprisingly opted to appeal the decision. Should the dismissal not be overturned, Calvert-Lewin could would miss Everton's Premier League encounter against Aston Villa on January 14. The Toffees will be desperate to snap a five-match winless run when they take on Villa at Goodison Park.