Dermot Gallagher was on hand to dispute claims that Everton’s opener against Liverpool, via Conor Coady, should have stood.
The former Premier League referee noted that James Milner’s contact on the ball going into the box shouldn’t be taken into account unless he was ‘in possession of the ball, has to have control of the ball or has to deliberately try to play that ball safely’ – none of which the veteran midfielder did.
It does highlight some room for contradiction as far as the rules are concerned over the exact definition of trying to play the ball, though it’s pleasing to see the laws of the game work out in our favour to help Jurgen Klopp’s men avoid another defeat in the league.
You can catch the clip below, courtesy of Sky Sports (via @footballdaily):
No Penalty ✅
Dermot Gallagher agrees with the decision to not reward Everton with a penalty as it was an attempted block pic.twitter.com/dmYeok4pQJ
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) September 5, 2022