David Moyes has criticized the standard of Premier League officiating after Everton's 1-0 defeat to Leeds United, which was decided by a late penalty. The penalty was awarded after Everton captain James Tarkowski was judged to have handled the ball inside the penalty area. Debutant Lukas Nmecha converted the penalty in the 84th minute, securing a Premier League victory for Leeds.
Moyes questioned the penalty decision and the overall quality of refereeing during the opening weekend of the season. He revealed that he spoke with the referee, Chris Kavanagh, after the match, but the referee indicated that the decision was influenced by VAR. "I'm obviously going to say it's not a penalty and I believe it's not a penalty," Moyes told Sky Sports. "I've been to see the referee. The referee sort of took nothing to do with it, he thought it was to do with VAR, the decision they've made. I don't know what else I can say".
Moyes was critical of the handball rule, stating that Tarkowski’s arm was in a natural position. He questioned what more Tarkowski could have done to avoid the ball hitting his arm. "I'm really disappointed and unless you cut the boys hand off, I don't know where he goes," Moyes told the BBC. "I don't know if the crowd plays a part in it". Moyes also said, "They tried to say he was leaning to the ball. Surely you're allowed to lean with your hands by your sides?". He further argued, "The ball took a deflection... Tarky would have to get his arm chopped off to avoid it. It wasn't outside his body, it wasn't doing anything different".
Moyes didn't stop at the penalty decision, expressing concern about the overall standard of officiating in the Premier League. "I actually think the referees have had a poor weekend in the opening weekend," he said. "I think there have been a lot of [poor] decisions and tonight's is another one". He also referenced another handball incident from the Liverpool vs. Bournemouth game on Friday night that wasn't given, which he felt was a clearer handball than the one in the Leeds-Everton match. "We saw one on Friday night [in Liverpool v Bournemouth] that wasn't given, which looked far clearer a handball than what it was tonight,” said Moyes.
Despite his criticism of the refereeing, Moyes admitted that Leeds United played better, especially in the first half. He said that Everton didn't deserve to win the game. Daniel Farke, the Leeds United boss, admitted that he needed to review the penalty decision again for clarity. Farke also admitted he was initially worried about Nmecha taking the penalty.
The penalty decision and the subsequent criticism have sparked debate among pundits. Chris Sutton, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, called the decision "a scandal" and said, "That's not a penalty. That's absolutely not a penalty". Former Everton defender Conor Coady agreed, expressing his dislike for the handball rule and confusion over what constitutes a handball.
Adding to the discussion, Moyes stated that the Elland Road crowd might have influenced the referee's decision. "The crowd were perhaps the ones that were a bit intimidating," Moyes said. "I can't say they intimidated the VAR people, but the crowd were very good here tonight for Leeds and they were fighting for everything".
