Everton were left fuming after a dramatic late penalty decision was overturned in their 2-2 draw with Manchester United. Ashley Young appeared to be fouled in the box deep into stoppage time, but after a VAR review, referee Andrew Madley rescinded his initial call, sparking outrage from David Moyes and the Goodison Park faithful.
With the match on a knife-edge in the 94th minute, Idrissa Gueye’s powerful strike forced a save, and as the ball fell loose, a tangle between Young, Harry Maguire, and Matthijs de Ligt sent the Everton veteran to the ground. Madley immediately pointed to the spot, but after intervention from the VAR officials, he reviewed the footage and reversed his decision.
Replays showed contact between De Ligt and Young, with what appeared to be a shirt pull. However, the Premier League Match Centre confirmed the VAR deemed there was no foul and instructed Madley to overturn his call. The decision was met with frustration from Moyes, who questioned the consistency of VAR’s involvement.
“If it’s absolutely clear and obvious, he should go to the screen,” Moyes said. “I didn’t see that, it looked like a clear pull of the jersey. I thought the referee got it right the first time and should have stuck with it.”
United boss Ruben Amorim saw it differently. “From what I saw, it was a soft touch,” he admitted. “I think it was a soft penalty.”
Everton fans made their anger known, booing Madley as he left the pitch. While both sides shared the points, the controversy ensured this clash will be debated long after the final whistle.
