Everton have finally been handed the news, which many clubs across the country have been waiting to come from the Premier League.
David Moyes will only have his eyes on the Merseyside Derby on Wednesday night, but there is a huge April ahead of the Toffees.
The work put in over the last two months has been enough to all but secure Everton’s spot in the Premier League for next season.
However, there have certainly been some points dropped along the way.
A big refereeing error cost Everton under Sam Barrott’s watch earlier in the season and he will officiate the game on Wednesday night.
But the Premier League referees are now just over a week away from a big update, which should really help them and their officials.
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
Everton learn Premier League SAOT update
For months now, the Premier League has been knocking back the date for their new Semi-Automated Offside Technology to be introduced.
It was expected to be brought into action much earlier in the season, but the Premier League have wanted to ensure the technology was working correctly.
MORE EVERTON STORIES
However, on Tuesday, it was announced that the new technology would be brought in for next weekend’s round of fixtures.
Semi-automated offside technology will be introduced by the Premier League for Matchweek 32, commencing on Saturday 12 April
Read more about the introduction 👇
— Premier League (@premierleague) April 1, 2025
View Tweet
This will mean Everton’s first game with Semi-Automated Offside Technology in action will come against Nottingham Forest.
In what is a daunting April for the Toffees, the Blues will be hoping the tight offside calls can finally fall in their favour.
Everton have been called offside after a VAR check on three occasions this season and some of them have been extremely tight.
Earlier in the season, Everton fans were furious with VAR disallowing Beto’s late equaliser against Southampton.
The new technology will be able to finally put to bed these close calls.
Everton have previous VAR controversy with Nottingham Forest
The meeting between these two sides at Goodison Park last season was one which really caused a lot of frustration.
Forest shared a scathing statement about the referee that day after they felt they were denied three penalties.
PGMOL chief Howard Webb admitted VAR may have gotten one of the decisions wrong, but Forest were punished for their post-match statement.
“He doesn’t see a clear action that he considers worthy of intervention,” said Webb on one of the decisions.
“We would have preferred an intervention on this situation for the referee to go to the screen to make a judgment for himself and probably [we] would have come out with a different outcome if that would have happened.”
Everton will just be hoping any offside calls made on the day go in their favour at the City Ground.