- Dominic Calvert-Lewin was sent off during Everton’s 0-0 draw vs Crystal Palace
- The forward had been shown a red card after a tackle on Nathaniel Clyne
- IAN LADYMAN: Premier League clubs are wrapped up in their own self-interest. They want what suits them and that’s not FA Cup replays – It’s All Kicking Off
Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin was taunted by Crystal Palace fans as he left the pitch after being controversially sent off in their FA Cup third-round clash at Selhurst Park.
Calvert-Lewin was dismissed for a challenge on Nathaniel Clyne 10 minutes from time in the 0-0 draw.
The Everton forward appeared to have his studs up when he made the tackle, but there was no excessive force or malice in the tackle and the 26-year-old seemed to make minimal contact with Clyne’s shinpad.
After a VAR recommendation, referee Chris Kavanagh went over to the pitchside monitor to review the challenge before deciding to give the Everton striker his marching orders, much to the delight of the Palace fans around the ground.
And as Calvert-Lewin approached the tunnel, he blew a kiss to the Palace supporters who had been goading him following the red card.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin blew a kiss to Crystal Palace fans after he was sent off on Thursday
Palace fans taunted the Everton striker by waving at him as he trudged off the pitch
Many have taken to social media after the match to criticise the sending off, with Everton icon Peter Reid writing on X: ‘The game’s gone.’
Jeff Stelling added: ‘Does anybody honestly believe the game is better for VAR? Makes you weep how the governing bodies/ PGMOL are destroying our beloved game.’
After the match, Sean Dyche also blasted the decision, telling the Toffees’ media channel: ‘Everything in slow-mo looks worse and the referee can see it clear as day. When you slow it down it’s a high foot and makes minimal contact and now-a-days you’re in contact. It’s a situation where the game is in a bizarre state – we all know that.
‘Then they go over to the monitor, don’t start me on that. Every fan in the country is surely fed up with them going over to the monitor. I don’t even get that. Of course we’re aggrieved by that and if you look at slo-mo, if you look at Beto get fouled with the lad Andersen cupping him in the box, if you’re going to slo-mo everything then that’s a penalty.
‘So why are they not giving us penalties? You can’t have one rule for one and then another rule for another…’
Everton and Palace will now face each other again in a replay, the date of which is yet to be announced.
Calvert-Lewin, though, could be set to miss Everton’s next three games including their match against Aston Villa on January 14.
Palace boss Roy Hodgson admitted the Everton striker’s dismissal was ‘unfortunate’ but said it was a ‘modern-day situation’.
Hodgson told ITV Sport: ‘I don’t know if I can understand those things these days.
On the advice of VAR Referee Chris Kavanagh chose to award Calvert-Lewin a red card
The incident (pictured) saw Calvert-Lewin slide in with his studs up on Palace’s Nathaniel Clyne
Seamus Coleman and Calvert-Lewin protested their case to the referee after the red card
Sean Dyche blasted the decision after the game claiming ‘eerything in slow-mo looks worse’
‘What to make of it. Lots of people who played in the past watching that will say that’s not a red card, but people playing recently will probably say it is a red card because of the way the studs were up and he [Calvert-Lewin] was leading with a straight leg.
‘It is unfortunate for the player, because it was not a vicious foul by any means. I thought the referee managed the game quite well.
‘There were a lot of decisions to make because both teams were rather physical. So he handled the game well and if that challenge is a red card then so be it I suppose.
‘I’m not prepared to say either it was or it wasn’t, it was a modern day situation.’
