Gary Lineker, a former Everton striker, reacted to some questionable VAR input following the Toffees’ 1-0 victory over Burnley on April 6.
Lineker refused to comment on any VAR controversy during an appearance on Match of the Day following Everton’s first Premier League victory in 14 attempts.
The Toffees won through a stroke of luck, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin blocking Arijanet Muric’s attempted clearance into the Burnley net shortly before halftime. Everton also believed they should have been awarded a penalty late on when James Garner was clipped in the box by Jay Rodriguez, but the referee and VAR waved play on.
Speaking about the Rodriguez challenge and Dara O’Shea’s lunge, which resulted in the Burnley defender receiving a straight red card, Lineker said: “Not VAR’s best game, but we’ll gloss over that.”
Ugly wins and narrow margins may prove vital for Everton survival
Everton’s first league victory in 14 matches, which avoided breaking an unpleasant club record, came from a blocked goalkeeper’s clearance ricocheting over Muric’s head and into the net, implying that the Toffees’ luck may be changing in their fight to stay up.
Manager Sean Dyche was as perplexed as Lineker when Rodriguez’s challenge on Garner did not result in a penalty, while Burnley manager Vincent Kompany was displeased that O’Shea’s foul on Dwight McNeil resulted in a red card, stating that a loose ball on the halfway line is hardly a goal-scoring opportunity.
Regardless of VAR’s involvement – or lack thereof – in this game, Everton urgently needed to win and only did so by the skin of their teeth. Lucky? Perhaps, but with only a few games left, the Toffees will feel they generated their own luck by winning three crucial points at Goodison.
In other Everton news, documents relating to a Toffees first-team player are on the table of a Champions League club that is planning a summer exit.
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