David Moyes was not having the VAR’s explanation after West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes dodged an Everton penalty appeal during Saturday’s 2-1 home win at the London Stadium.
The Hammers rode their luck against David Moyes’ visitors, hanging on for dear life following a dopamine rush of opening goal; thumped home in trademark style by Tomas Soucek.
Hearts were certainly in mouths when Mateus Fernandes, battling with Thierno Barry inside the West Ham United penalty area, slapped the ball away from the Toffees striker.
Accidental or not, Moyes felt his team were extremely hard done by.
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Mateus Fernandes during Fulham v West Ham United - Premier League
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David Moyes claims West Ham United escaped a penalty against Mateus Fernandes
“I don’t think we deserved to lose, that’s for sure,” Moyes told BBC Sport, still reeling from the 2-1 Merseyside derby loss against Liverpool six days prior.
“It was very similar to last week’s game in lots of ways. We played well enough. There were moments where we didn’t do quite so well, but we didn’t deserve to lose.”
Jarrod Bowen and Mateus Fernandes celebrate during West Ham United v Everton - Premier League
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As Stuart Attwell paused proceedings and waited for instruction from Stockley Park, the Video Assistant Referee deemed that while ‘the ball did hit the hand of Fernandes’, that flick of an arm was adjudged to have been ‘a grappling motion’.
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‘No intent’.
It is fair to say Moyes does not share the same viewpoint.
“I’m a bit surprised,” sighed the Scot. I’ve just been to see the officials now.
“I think the VAR is saying ‘grappling.’ The centre-forward wasn’t grappling. The boy marking him was grappling.
“He puts two hands around him. It wasn’t as if his hand was there and the ball came up and hit it; he reacted and he punched the ball, so I’m amazed that they’ve not given a penalty kick for it.
“It would have been harsh on them, but I’m amazed. I actually think it was VAR who made the decision. That’s the disappointing thing.”
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Moyes thinks Everton did not deserve to lose
Everton would level through a fierce Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall volley shortly after Attwell waved away the visitors’ appeals. With 92 minutes on the clock, though, Callum Wilson followed up his stoppage time winner at Tottenham in January with another crucial contribution at the death.
“I think if any team was going to go on to win the game, we probably had the time to do it,” Moyes concluded at a stadium where he experienced plenty of highs between 2017 and 2024.
“We got a goal, deservedly so, but we didn’t do well enough at the end.”
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