Lampard blames VAR decisions in Coventry's 3-1 defeat to Everton

Summarised from 3 outlets · 5 reports · Updated 6 Nov, 23:58 · Archive

Coventry boss Frank Lampard says VAR did not do its job after three controversial decisions went against his side in their 3-1 loss to Everton.

Coventry City lost 3-1 to Everton on Friday in a match where head coach Frank Lampard felt his side was on the wrong end of key VAR decisions. Thierno Barry scored twice for Everton to come from behind after Yann Gboho had given Coventry the lead in the second half.

Lampard told Sky Sports that VAR 'didn't do its job', pointing to three separate incidents. In the first half, Everton defender James Tarkowski appeared to pull the hair of Coventry player Caleb Yirenkyi while jumping for a high ball. Referee Stuart Attwell did not award a penalty, and VAR reviewed the incident but took no action.

The second incident came in the second period, when Coventry striker Taiwo Awoniyi went down in the penalty area following contact with Everton left-back Vitalii Mykolenko. Again, no penalty was given by Attwell, and VAR officials Timothy Wood and Gary Beswick reviewed the decision.

Lampard was particularly aggrieved by Everton's second goal, which made the score 2-1. He said Barry's goal came off the player's hand on the way past Coventry keeper Carl Rushworth. VAR reviewed the incident but ruled it was not a handball offence.

On the hair pull incident, Lampard said the rules around hair pulling have been relaxed this season and do not automatically result in a foul or red card. However, he disputed the decision. 'What is a hair pull? You've decided it is but it's not enough,' Lampard said, adding that he thought it should have been a foul.

Regarding the Awoniyi incident, replays showed contact occurred at the edge of the box rather than inside it, though Lampard believed his player had been fouled and deserved a penalty.

Coventry opened the scoring after the two penalty appeals, but Everton's comeback saw them move to fifth in the Premier League table. Lampard acknowledged some positive aspects of his team's performance but said the big decisions had ultimately changed the outcome of the match.

How it is being reported

• Lampard feels hair pull should have led to Coventry penaltyCoventry had a trio of decisions go against them in defeat at Everton, with Frank Lampard suggesting a hair pull should have been a penalty.BBC News · 6 Nov, 23:22
• Lampard: VAR didn't do its jobCoventry boss Frank Lampard says VAR 'didn't do its job' in his side's defeat to Everton as three reviews controversially went against his side.Sky Sports · 6 Nov, 23:20
• Lampard: VAR didn't do its jobCoventry boss Frank Lampard says VAR 'didn't do its job' in his side's defeat to Everton as three reviews controversially went against his side.Sky Sports Football · 6 Nov, 23:20
• Frank Lampard bemoans 'big' VAR decisions after Coventry suffer Everton defeatCoventry tasted defeat in their Premier League clash with Everton, but the newly promoted team will hard done by following a series of decisions that went against themMirror Sport · 6 Nov, 23:18
• 'Big decisions' affected the game - LampardCoventry City head coach Frank Lampard is frustrated after three "big decisions" went against his side in their 3-1 defeat by Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.BBC Sport · 6 Nov, 22:40

In this story: Coventry City · Everton · Frank Lampard · Thierno Barry · James Tarkowski · Caleb Yirenkyi · Taiwo Awoniyi · Vitalii Mykolenko

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