Everton secured a vital 1-0 victory over Ipswich Town at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, but the post-match headlines have been completely dominated by a controversial refereeing decision that left manager David Moyes fuming.
In-form striker Thierno Barry continued his blistering start to the campaign by firing the hosts into an early first-half lead. Later in the match, the prolific forward thought he had doubled Everton’s advantage by heading home what would have been his sixth goal of the season. However, celebrations were abruptly cut short when referee Stuart Attwell, assisted by a VAR review, decided to chalk the effort off for offside.
Following the match, the Premier League released an official statement explaining the reasoning behind the controversial disallowance. Yet, that explanation has drawn fierce condemnation from high-profile officiating experts.
Keith Hackett Tears Into Premier League’s VAR Justification
Former FIFA-listed referee Keith Hackett has completely rejected the Premier League’s official stance, speaking exclusively to Goodison News to express his utter disbelief at the decision.
The league’s rationale centered on the claim that an Everton player in an offside position—identified as Brennan Johnson—impacted Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton’s ability to deal with the situation. Hackett, however, insists the officials got it fundamentally wrong.
”I do not believe that this goal should have been ruled out,” Hackett declared. “My judgement is that whilst there is a player in an offside position, he has not interfered or impacted on the goalkeeper, who frankly should have moved to his right to make an attempt to make a save.”
Adding further weight to his assessment, Hackett noted that the physical trajectory of the ball never crossed paths with the goalkeeper or presented an unfair obstruction: “The flight of the ball was not in the path of the goalkeeper or over the head of the player in an offside position.”
David Moyes Left Fuming Over Ongoing Double Standards
While David Moyes’ side ultimately held on to claim all three points against the newly promoted Tractor Boys, the veteran manager would have been entitled to a nervous finale as Ipswich hunted a late equalizer. Even with the victory in the bag, Moyes is expected to add this incident to an ever-growing list of grievances regarding top-flight officiating.
Moyes has been fiercely outspoken about the glaring lack of consistency across Premier League refereeing decisions since returning to Merseyside, frequently highlighting perceived favoritism toward the traditional “Big Six.”
The Everton boss will likely point to recent inconsistencies across the division—such as Enzo Fernandez’s controversial goal for Manchester derby rivals last week, which stood despite clear interference—as further proof of a double standard.
For Everton, securing wins while battling both opponents and contentious officiating will be crucial. But if high-profile experts like Keith Hackett continue to expose flaws in official VAR explanations, the pressure on the Premier League’s refereeing body will only intensify as the season progresses.
