Diogo Jota’s controversial goal was allowed to stand despite his Liverpool teammate Luis Diaz straying into an offside position
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Jarrad Branthwaite of Everton reacts during the Merseyside derby
Jarrad Branthwaite has said he doesn't think Liverpool's goal should have stood during last night's fiery Merseyside derby. And the Everton defender has revealed the conversation he had with referee Sam Barrott.
It was one of two controversial moments of a game that saw James Tarkowski avoid a red card for a challenge on Alexis Mac Allister, of which the PGMOL have now said the Blues centre-back should have been sent off for.
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Diogo Jota’s controversial goal was then allowed to stand despite his Liverpool team-mate Luis Diaz straying into an offside position. Tarkowski had to stretch to cut out the pass and Branthwaite made sure to question the decision.
READ MORE: Why Luis Diaz offside was not given in build-up to Diogo Jota goal for Liverpool vs EvertonREAD MORE: What James Tarkowski did at full-time after tackle as Jordan Pickford approaches Darwin Nunez
The ECHO understand officials in Stockley Park ruled that Diaz did not impact Tarkowski and his ability to play the ball and therefore did not believe the on-field decision should be overturned.
Addressing the controversial decision to allow the goal, Branthwaite told evertontv: “It's always going to be tough when you come to Anfield. We knew that as a team, we knew we were going to have to dig in. I think at the end you can see the disappointment in us. We've had the chances to score goals, and we haven't taken them today.
“Maybe on a different day, they fall in. Their goal, to me, looked offside, which I said to the referee. He was looking at it, he says he knew what he's looking at, but then he's looked at it and not given it, so I can't really get my head around it.
“I said, ‘Are you looking at the Tarky (offside) with Diaz?’ He says, ‘Yeah, I'm looking at it’. He looks at it and doesn't give it, so I don't know what he's done there.
“We had the chances to get back into the game, chances to go in the lead in the first half especially. It's just one of those games. They're a top side and they've come away with a win.
“I think as a team we need to be better on the ball and when you get to the final third you've got to pick the right pass. We've got to have the precision so the man who's getting the ball has the best possible chance of putting a cross in or scoring a goal.
“We need to improve on that if we're going to pick up points away to big teams where we're only going to get one or two chances.”
Branthwaite remains proud of the performance from the Blues, adding: “I think you've seen the reaction after the game by them. You know, it was a massive game for them. And you can see how happy they were with the result, which proves how much of a game we've given them. I think on the last game when I came here, it wasn't the case.
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“They strolled it, really, and today we've given them in a proper game, and it shows how far as a team we’ve come. We just need to take the positives and continue like that.”
On how Everton go into the final eight games of the season, Branthwaite said: “I think you look at the chances we've created today, they're not just half chances, they're one-on-one chances, with the Beto one.
“I think our set-pieces need to be a little bit better to give ourselves more chances of scoring from them. But we are creating the chances and it's something that we've progressed as a team from the start of the season, and we need to keep improving."