Everton vs Man City ref watch: Three big calls that Michael Oliver got wrong
Everton were unable to hold out as they conceded a 97th-minute equaliser to draw 3-3 with Manchester City on Monday night.
Pep Guardiola’s men dominated their hosts for large spells and hit the front through Jeremy Doku’s stunning curling effort on the stroke of half-time.
However, the game was flipped on its head within 13 second-half minutes, as Thierno Barry netted a double for the hosts either side of Jake O’Brien’s header.
The Toffees looked to have given their European hopes a huge boost, but their hearts were broken as Erling Haaland cut the deficit before Doku struck again from distance deep into stoppage time.
Everton’s draw with Manchester City means they are now winless in their last 19 meetings in all competitions, and Football Insider picked out three errors from referee Michael Oliver during the 90 minutes.
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VISIT THE EVERTON MATCH HUBOfficiating team get huge Michael Keane call wrong
The game’s big decision came right on the stroke of half-time, when Michael Keane clattered into Doku on the right wing during first-half stoppage time.
The Everton defender charged across to meet the winger near the touchline, and he steamed into his opponent with little control in his challenge.
| Everton | Stats | Man City |
| 25% | Possession | 75% |
| 2.77 | xG | 1.37 |
| 6 | Shots on Target | 4 |
| 3 | Big Chances | 1 |
| 15 | Touches in Opposition Box | 45 |
| 5 | Corners | 9 |
Doku got to the ball ahead of the centre-back, but was then sent flying as Keane planted his studs into the wideman’s foot, well after the ball had been played.
Oliver rushed over to show the Toffees’ star a yellow card, and VAR decided that the man in the middle had made the correct call following a brief review.
However, replays suggested that Keane’s tackle was relatively nasty, and certainly could have been deemed to have been endangering his opponent, especially if the contact had come a little higher.
With that in mind, the defender could certainly count himself lucky to have stayed on the pitch, as it would surely have been the correct call for Oliver to send him off.
Michael Oliver falls for Rayan Cherki theatrics
The first moment of controversy came in just the fifth minute, when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was penalised for a fairly innocuous fall on Rayan Cherki out on the touchline.
The pair were jostling for possession in front of the dugouts, and the Everton star appeared to catch his opponent with a stray forearm as they battled for the ball.
It was a limited amount of contact and undoubtedly accidental, but Cherki threw himself to the floor theatrically in an attempt to try and buy a free-kick.
Oliver succumbed to his attempts and blew for a foul, much to the frustration of David Moyes, who made his feelings known to fourth official Andy Madley.
Dewsbury-Hall rightly avoided a booking for the incident, but the fact that he was even penalised at all was an incorrect call from the referee.
Thierno Barry wrongly penalised for outmuscling Jeremy Doku
Barry has struggled for Everton in recent months, but he was flowing with energy after he levelled the game on Monday night.
The striker tirelessly chased Doku towards his own corner flag in the 80th minute, as he forced the Belgian right to the byline before stripping him of the ball.
However, Oliver adjudged that the Frenchman was a little overzealous with his challenge on his opponent, as he let the City star off the hook after he had lost the ball deep in his own territory.
It was a hugely soft free-kick to be given at that stage of the game, especially since Barry didn’t use an unfair level of physicality, it was merely just a show of superior strength.
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