‘Where is the line?’: Everton coach’s VAR rant after Spurs take ‘big three points’ after soft call

Tottenham moved up to fourth place, three points behind Arsenal, after a 2-1 win against Everton although a controversial VAR moment left Sean Dyche frustrated.

Richarlison put Tottenham ahead against his former club in the ninth minute, slotting home from Brennan Johnson’s low cross to make it three goals in his last four games.

Son Heung-min doubled the lead in the 18th minute with a powerful finish after Everton keeper Jordan Pickford could only parry Johnson’s shot into the South Korean’s path.

Andre Gomes blasted into the far corner to reduce the deficit in the 82nd minute, but it was too late to stop Everton’s first defeat in five league games.

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Everton did have a Dominic Calvert-Lewin goal ruled out earlier in the game though following a VAR review in the 51st minute, with Gomes ruled to have made contact with Emerson Royal’s ankle shortly before when he won possession from him for the Toffees.

Speaking on Soccer Saturday, former Premier League referee Mike Dean described it as “small contact” but argued it was “not enough” to overturn the original call of a goal.

“It’s minimal contact. It’s very, very soft,” he added.

Even former Tottenham defender Michael Dawson agreed, declaring: “I didn’t think it was a foul.”

Everton boss Dyche, meanwhile, had plenty to say about the VAR and the decision after Sunday’s loss.

“I’m a big fan of VAR but I don’t know where that one lives today because I think VAR has over-reffed the moment,” Dyche said.

“The referee and the linesperson has an amazing view, they’ve made the decision with all their experience of doing it. It goes out of the window because they can find contact.

“They find contact with virtually everything. The amount of contact in the game we all know is alarming. They favour a penalty when someone has stepped on a toe. When you are stood on when you’re in the queue to get onto the tube, you don’t fall over. Apparently, that’s a penalty nowadays.

“My question is where is the line between trusting the on-field decision and the referee’s instinct in what they’re doing. Many people will disagree as they will say there is contact, but if I’m the person in the VAR room I am looking at the referee’s position as well, the linesperson’s position and thinking what view have they got.

“Their views were perfect. It was the perfect moment for them to be allowed to referee the game. VAR cannot be refereeing every moment. Nearly every touch is a foul. In that moment, there’s not enough contact for me for a mature professional footballer to go down. The game has got to be really careful, and I’ve said it for years.

“You’ve got to think it would’ve had an effect because of the way we were playing. The feeling in the stadium would have got nervous, but you never know. I’ve not got a crystal ball, but goals do change games and I’d have had a strong feeling of us getting something from the game.”

Meanwhile, Ange Postecoglou said Everton made it “difficult” for Tottenham to hold on for the win but was glad his players showed the resilience to get the job done.

“I think we started the game well and got ourselves in front,” Postecoglou told Premier League Productions.

“We got a little wasteful with the ball and some of that was because of Everon’s pressure. They work hard and make it difficult. We had to show resilience in the second half to get a result.

“We went through that difficult spell where we got ourselves in front but didn’t end up putting the game to bed. In the context of everything we’re going through with the squad, it’s a big three points.”