EVERTON TO CONTACT PGMOL AFTER BEING DENIED BLATANT PENALTY AT LONDON STADIUM
David Moyes is left seething as Everton are denied a penalty in their 2-1 defeat to West Ham. Here is the full story on the fallout.
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Everton were furious when the ref refused to give them a penalty at West Ham. Matheus Fernandes pretty much slapped the ball away inside his own box while defending against Thierno Barry. It looked obvious to most people watching; even plenty of West Ham fans admitted it was blatant. Fernandes moved his arm right toward the ball – a totally unnatural position and definitely not accidental.
Football’s often about shades of grey, but this one seemed crystal clear: a textbook handball penalty. Unless Fernandes started dribbling the ball like an NBA player, it's hard to imagine what more he could’ve done. Even his own manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, said he was “scared” to answer when asked if it was a penalty. That’s as close as you get to the other manager admitting his team caught a big break.
The people making the call, though, saw it differently. Referee Stuart Attwell had a good spot but missed it. That’s supposed to be where VAR comes in to fix obvious mistakes. If VAR doesn’t step in for something like this, what are we even using it for? Why didn’t Michael Salisbury or Daniel Robathan, the officials at Stockley Park, say something?
I’ve never really trusted VAR, and honestly, I’ve started to hate the nitpicky mess it’s turned into. Just imagine it ruining a dramatic finish like the Rochdale vs York City promotion battle earlier that day. Still, this seemed like exactly the kind of moment where VAR should do its job or else scrap it altogether. But VAR’s here to stay in the Premier League, even though the Championship has pushed back against it.
Now, Everton plans to act. Chief executive Angus Kinnear will contact referees’ bosses to complain about Premier League officiating consistency.
This isn’t new. Back in 2022, after Manchester City’s Rodri handled the ball in the box at Goodison Park and went unpunished, Everton’s manager and chairman got phone calls from PGMOL boss Mike Riley after they lodged a complaint. But, you know, talk is cheap. Until officials start treating Everton fairly, nothing changes.
All season, Everton’s been dogged by inconsistent decisions. Their campaign started at Leeds United, with Chris Kavanagh (the same VAR official from the Rodri handball) awarding Leeds a late penalty for a supposed handball by James Tarkowski. Tarkowski asked if having his arm by his side was a penalty. The ref told him "no", so he was baffled when it happened.
In the next game, Attwell punished Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall for something similar. Yes, the same Attwell who missed the Fernandes handball. Everton didn’t get a penalty at Burnley later that year, even though Jaidon Anthony blocked a shot with his arm in almost the same way.
Back in August, officials ruled that Dewsbury-Hall made his body bigger with his arm. But replays showed he was actually closer to the shot than Anthony had been.
Then came Arsenal. William Saliba floored Barry in the box, but the Premier League Match Centre said it “wasn’t deemed sufficient for a penalty". Yet just two days later, Fulham beat Nottingham Forest thanks to a penalty awarded for a nearly identical incident.
David Moyes said watching the Fulham incident left him “half choking". He added, “It feels like certain clubs get those decisions and others don't; we seem to be on the bad side.”
Just to add insult, the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents Panel later voted that Everton should've had a penalty against Arsenal, and VAR should’ve sent the ref to the monitor.
And, after New Year’s, Everton’s Michael Keane got a red card for tugging the hair of Wolves striker Tolu Arokodare. Everton’s appeal failed, and Moyes was furious; he said the technical details made it impossible to get right.
Afterwards, PGMOL chief Howard Webb told Michael Owen on Sky Sports that Keane’s sending off was “the appropriate outcome". He claimed, “If we see it again next week, it will be the same outcome.” But it wasn’t. The next month, Fulham’s Kenny Tete yanked the hair of Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo and escaped any punishment.
It makes you wonder if someone at the Premier League has it in for Everton. Honestly, we’re all left scratching our heads about why.
FULHAM TABLE €30M PACKAGE FOR BRAZILIAN MIDFIELDER DANILO TO SEAL SUMMER TRANSFER
Behind the race for Danilo. We look at why Fulham are targeting the in-form Brazilian midfielder for a PL return.
Fulham are right in the mix for Danilo now, with the midfielder’s name suddenly buzzing again around the Premier League.
At 24, Danilo turned things around at Botafogo after leaving Nottingham Forest, and he’s on fire lately. He looks like one of the best central midfielders in Brazil right now; his form’s making people take notice, both at home and abroad.
In 2026, Danilo scored 10 goals and picked up 3 assists in 23 games across all competitions. He’s not just padding his stats either; in the league, he has 7 goals in 10 matches. That’s a huge return for a central midfielder. He’s finding the net every 3.14 shots and averages over two shots a game.
Danilo isn’t just about goals, though. He completes about 45 passes a match, with nearly 87% accuracy, and he’s setting up chances too – almost two key passes per game.
So, it’s no surprise that Brazil have him locked in for the next World Cup squad. His profile and transfer value just keep climbing, and now there’s real movement in the market.
Fulham are showing intent with a concrete offer.
According to Globo Esporte, Fulham are ready to pay around €30 million (£26m) for Danilo. They’ve been here before, but this time they’re serious. The offer breaks down as €22m guaranteed and another €8m in bonuses matching Zenit’s proposal. Palmeiras want him as well, but pulling off a domestic transfer looks a lot more complicated.
That kind of money puts Fulham in a great spot, especially since Botafogo’s finances are shaky. The club really needs a big sale this summer, and Danilo’s value is peaking.
Unrest behind the scenes at Botafogo
The timing here isn’t accidental. Danilo’s 2026 surge has made him a leader in the dressing room, especially while Botafogo struggles with financial problems and ownership drama.
Folks inside the club see him as their most valuable asset. Selling him could solve a lot of problems. Earlier this year, things got tense; Danilo’s side even threatened to end his contract over unpaid image rights. And while that got sorted, it highlighted just how unstable things are.
Plus, there was the failed deal to send Danilo back to Nottingham Forest in January, scuppered when legal action stopped John Textor from making transfers unilaterally. Now Textor’s out, and the club has to take its big debts seriously.
Fulham have an open window.
All this makes a summer move feel right. Danilo wanted to stick with Botafogo until after the World Cup, but it’s clear now he’s ready; his stock’s never been higher, and top clubs are circling.
From Fulham’s side, they see a midfielder at his best, already experienced in England, playing well, and eager to come back.
And compared to his stint at Forest, this time things look a lot more promising for everyone involved.
So Fulham are lining everything up. Now, they just have to pull the trigger.
INSIDE CHELSEA’S DUGOUT SEARCH: CONTACT MADE WITH ANDONI IRAOLA’S REPRESENTATIVES FOR NEW ROLE
Chelsea’s hunt for stability: Iraola eyed for head coach, plus news on Nicolas Jackson’s future at Stamford Bridge this summer.
Andoni Iraola is one of several names Chelsea is considering as their next head coach this summer.
Rosenior. Last week, Chelsea let Rosenior go after just under four months in charge, even though he had more than five years left on his contract.
With seven losses from eight games, Chelsea decided to move on. They've put Calum McFarlane in charge for now, just until the end of the season. In the meantime, the club’s sporting directors are hunting for a new permanent boss, someone who can lead the club’s long-term plans.
Iraola, currently at Bournemouth, is one of the early candidates. He’ll be leaving his role at the Vitality Stadium when the season ends. Marco Silva from Fulham, who’s out of contract soon as well, has made Chelsea’s shortlist too, and free agent Xabi Alonso is also in the mix. A few more unnamed names are being considered as well.
No one knows exactly who’ll be standing in the Stamford Bridge dugout next season. But Iraola’s in with a real shot. If he does get the job, that could be good news for Nicolas Jackson, who’s set to return from his loan soon.
Jackson went to Bayern Munich on loan last summer. The deal said Bayern had to buy him for £56.2 million (plus a £14.3 million loan fee), but only if he played a set number of games, roughly 40, give or take. So far, Jackson’s made 29 appearances this season. Last week, Bayern’s Max Eberl confirmed they won’t be buying him permanently.
Apparently, it was clear from early on that Jackson wouldn’t stay in Munich, and people close to him said back in February that he was planning to weigh up his options this summer. He hasn’t ruled out coming back to Stamford Bridge.
If Iraola is Chelsea's head coach when Jackson returns, things might get interesting. Iraola’s made it clear he rates Jackson highly. Back when Iraola was managing Mirandes in Spain, Jackson was on loan there from Villarreal. Their paths never crossed directly, but Iraola kept an eye on him.
In fact, Bournemouth tried to sign Jackson in January 2023, six months before Iraola even joined the club. Jackson didn’t pass the medical, though, and ended up at Chelsea instead.
Talking to the Bournemouth Echo last summer, Iraola said, “I know him really well, because he played at Mirandés and I faced him with Villarreal. He’s a very, very good player. He’s quick; he threatens with his pace, and he can also turn, beat his man, and create chances. He’ll work well with the other strikers.”
Asked about Jackson at Mirandes, Iraola added, “I didn’t coach him, but he went there young and played in the second division.”
If Jackson does stay at Chelsea next season, he won’t have an open run at the no. 9 spot. Joao Pedro has scored 19 goals in his debut season, and it’s tough to see anyone displacing him right now.
Then there’s Liam Delap, who’s had a tough first year – just two goals after a £30m move from Ipswich Town. Some reports say he wants to stay and fight for his place, but it’s only going to get harder with Emanuel Emegha arriving this summer.
Emegha is currently at Strasbourg and will join Chelsea at the end of the season. That said, it’s still up in the air whether he’ll actually play in London next year or head out on loan somewhere else.
