The Premier League’s Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel has admitted that Everton should have
been awarded a penalty in their 1-0 defeat to Arsenal on December 20, while also delivering
verdicts on other major refereeing decisions from the same round of matches.
The panel voted 3-2 that referee Sam Barrott was wrong not to award a spot-kick after Arsenal
defender William Saliba kicked Everton forward Thierno Barry inside the box in the 57th
minute.
It also ruled, by the same margin, that VAR official Michael Salisbury should have sent the
referee to the pitchside monitor, with three panellists describing the contact as careless and a
clear error.
Everton manager David Moyes later voiced frustration at the inconsistency, questioning why
similar incidents had resulted in penalties elsewhere, particularly pointing to a Fulham spot-kick
awarded against Nottingham Forest two days later, a decision the panel unanimously supported.
The KMI Panel also reviewed incidents from other fixtures in the round. In Newcastle United’s
2-2 draw with Chelsea, it voted 3-2 that referee Andy Madley should have awarded a penalty
after Trevoh Chalobah’s challenge on Anthony Gordon.
However, it also ruled that the incident did not reach the threshold for VAR intervention,
meaning VAR acted correctly in not stepping in.
In Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, the panel unanimously backed the red card
shown to Xavi Simons after a VAR review and ruled Liverpool’s second goal was correctly
awarded, stating there was insufficient contact to penalise Hugo Ekitike for a push on Cristian
Romero. Romero’s second yellow card in stoppage time was also supported by a 4-1 majority.
KMI Panel Admits Error in Everton Penalty Decision Against Arsenal
