adminPremier League rule change given approval after Liverpool vs Everton controversy
Everton duo Jack Grealish and David Moyes both expressed their anger after the amount of added time awarded during the end of their defeat to Liverpool at Anfield over the weekend
Former Premier League referee Dermott Gallagher says clock-stop would have ended the added-time controversy between Liverpool and Everton. The Toffees fell to a slender 2-1 defeat to their Merseyside rivals at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.
Goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike appeared to put Liverpool in control in the first period. Idrissa Gueye pulled a goal back for Everton, but they were eventually beaten by the clock.
Just three minutes of stoppage time were played at the end of the second half, leaving many of an Everton persuasion – including David Moyes and Jack Grealish – baffled. Pundit Jay Boothroyd was also confused, while ex-Premier League referee Gallagher has suggested a solution.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Boothroyd said: “When do we ever see three minutes in this day and age now? We never see three minutes.”
Gallagher replied: “Normally you have got the VAR feeding back, ‘This has taken X amount of time’, substitutes or a VAR review and things like that. It’s all added up and fed to the fourth official, fed to the referee because they are all in communication, so it should be better than ever.”
Boothroyd then added: “Because there were so many subs and incidents in the game, the ball is out of play, would you think there should be more than three minutes?”
And after Gallagher admitted he didn’t know, the former Premier League frontman then accused him of sitting on the fence. But the ex-official hit back and said: “I am not sitting on the fence, Jay.
“How would I know? I would have to clock everything! This goes back into my thing, why don’t we play 35 minutes each way, stop the clock like they do in other sports?”
Gallagher’s suggestion comes after Everton star Jack Grealish had made his frustration at the lack of added time known.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the defeat at Anfield, the on-loan Manchester City man said: “We couldn’t get the last goal and it was frustrating in the second half.
“They were trying to slow the game down at times. I’ve never seen a player in my whole life get booked for taking a quick free-kick. I don’t know where that rule has come in. Even the stoppage time, three minutes and one minute – I’ve never seen that in the Premier League in the last two or three years.”
Moyes also said: “Three minutes was very strange. Every quick free-kick had to be stopped and brought back for the whistle and then we get a booking for it. I find it quite unbelievable.”
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