David Moyes looking aghast with Everton badge inset
(Credit: Imago)
Pranav Shahaney
Tue 19 August 2025 20:10, UK
Everton started their Premier League campaign with a 1-0 defeat against Leeds United at Elland Road.
David Moyes took his Everton side to Yorkshire in the hopes of coming away with a positive result, but a Lukas Nmecha penalty resulted in his side losing the contest.
James Tarkowski conceded a penalty, which saw the Hill Dickinson Park outfit lose to a Lukas Nmecha spot kick.
James Tarkowski
Tarkowski conceded a late penalty. (Credit: Imago)
Mike Parry bashes referee Chris Kavanagh
Mike Parry, a shareholder of the Toffees, was far from pleased with referee Chris Kavanagh’s decision.
Kavanagh paused before ruling against Everton, handing Leeds a late chance at scoring the winning goal.
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Parry believes that the official was terrified of giving a decision against the hosts, as that would enrage the Elland Road faithful.
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He is of the opinion that every football fan would not see that as a penalty and that it was only given because of the pressure put on the referee by a full house in Leeds.
Via X, Parry wrote: “Any football fan, anywhere in the world, knows that wasn’t a pen.
“It’s the most extreme example I’ve ever seen of a referee being absolutely terrified of giving a decision that might anger a full house home crowd on their first day back in the Prem.”
Everton had done by refereeing incompetence
Tarkowski’s penalty concession against Leeds was a contentious call by Kavanagh, but it’s unlikely VAR would have overturned it if he hadn’t initially pointed to the spot.
The incident occurred in a high-stakes moment, and VAR’s threshold for overturning decisions requires clear and obvious errors.
Given the subjective nature of the foul, the least VAR could have done was prompt Kavanagh to review it at the monitor for a more informed final decision.
Moyes will be rightly fuming as, after years of its implementation, VAR is still causing controversy after controversy despite referees having the chance to correct their errors.
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