Lampard: VAR did not do its job

Coventry lost 3-1 to Everton in Merseyside. Speaking after the Friday evening match, head coach Frank Lampard said VAR had not done its job. Lampard said all three reviews went against Coventry.

Lampard stressed that big decisions change the course of matches and that this is exactly why VAR exists. The head coach said he did not want to make the defeat sound like a complaint, but said the decisions had affected the match.

Late in the first half, James Tarkowski elbowed Ethan Pinnock as they rose for a high ball, and he also pulled Caleb Yirenkyi's hair. VAR reviewed the elbow incident, but neither a card nor a penalty was given. No statement has been issued by the Premier League Match Centre on whether the hair-pulling incident was reviewed. According to the guidance the league published this summer, a red card will be shown if hair-pulling is a harsh and deliberate act, and a yellow card if it is not harsh.

No penalty was given for Mykolenko's challenge on Taiwo Awoniyi. A possible Everton handball before Thierno Barry's second goal was checked, but no decision was made. Penalty appeals and the handball position were reviewed by VAR officials Timothy Wood and Gary Beswick. Referee Stuart Attwell also made no decision on them on the pitch.