Lampard Accuses VAR of Failing Coventry After Everton Defeat

Coventry City manager Frank Lampard has accused the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) of failing to perform its duties after three contentious decisions went against his team in their 3-1 defeat to Everton on Friday.

Lampard's side had two penalty appeals rejected and questioned the validity of Everton's second goal, which was allowed to stand following a VAR review at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Speaking after the match, the former Everton midfielder said the decisions had affected the outcome, insisting that VAR should have intervened.

“I'm not trying to talk about the circumstances of the actual football, but when big decisions change games, they absolutely do. It's disappointing. VAR is there for that and it didn't do its job,” he said.

The first incident occurred towards the end of the opening half when Everton defender James Tarkowski appeared to pull Coventry midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi's hair while challenging for a high ball.

VAR officials Timothy Wood and Gary Beswick reviewed the incident but did not recommend a penalty or disciplinary action. Lampard maintained that the action prevented Yirenkyi from jumping properly and should have resulted in a spot-kick.

The second controversy came shortly after the restart when Coventry striker Taiwo Awoniyi went down following contact from Everton defender Vitalii Mykolenko while running towards goal.

Referee Stuart Attwell initially waved away the appeal, while VAR reviewed the incident and determined that the contact occurred outside the penalty area.

Lampard disagreed with the assessment, arguing that Awoniyi's foot was on the penalty-area line when the contact occurred and that the decision should have gone in his team's favour.

The third incident involved Everton forward Thierno Barry's second goal, which put the hosts ahead after Coventry had taken the lead through Yann Gboho.

Barry appeared to bundle the ball into the net from close range, prompting protests from Coventry players who believed it had touched his hand.

VAR checked the goal but found no conclusive evidence of handball, allowing it to stand. Barry later insisted that scoring was his responsibility as a striker.

Everton had fallen behind early in the second half when Gboho scored his first goal for Coventry, but Barry equalised with a header before scoring again four minutes later.

The forward then provided the assist for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to complete the comeback in the 81st minute.

The victory moved Everton into fifth position, while Coventry remained two points above the relegation zone, with the possibility of dropping into the bottom three depending on other results.

Everton manager David Moyes acknowledged that his side had also experienced unfavourable officiating decisions in previous matches but said he wanted the correct outcomes to be reached.