'I'm absolutely in shock' - Sky Sports pundit can't believe what he's seen in incident at Everton

Dominic Calvert-Lewin should “100%” have been awarded a penalty for Everton in the draw with Newcastle, according to Stephen Warnock.

The Sky Sports pundit reacted live on Ref Watch on 7 October to explain how “astonished” he was that Dan Burn was not penalised for getting his leg between the ball and the striker as he wound up to shoot inside the box on 5 October.

Sue Smith also agreed it should definitely have been a penalty, but former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher felt otherwise, claiming Burn had been “clever” to get himself in position to be kicked.

Warnock said: “I was absolutely astonished this wasn’t given as a penalty, because Calvert-Lewin is now in a position where he’s going to strike a ball and Dan Burn makes contact with the back of his leg and takes him down.

“I’m still astounded that people don’t see it as Calvert-Lewin is in the ascendency with his leg forward, and Dan Burn goes round him into that area, it’s baffling.

“I still can’t get my head round it, I’m absolutely in shock. Dan Burn’s face as well… he goes down and looks, and it’s the look of, ‘Oh please don’t give that against me’.”

Dominic Calvert-Lewin denied Everton penalty v Newcastle

To most watching it looked like Calvert-Lewin had been obstructed as he went to shoot, especially as he was essentially in possession and Burn didn’t get a touch on the ball before the clash.

But as Gallagher insisted when a similar incident involving Anthony Gordon and Kalvin Phillips from last season was brought up, decisions seem to regularly be given the other way in these situations.

It appears that simply getting your leg between a player and the ball as they go to play it is good enough to draw a foul, even if there is no actual attempt to win the ball itself.

Logically it is no surprise that Calvert-Lewin, Sean Dyche, and thousands of Evertonians were aggrieved, but the officiating appears to be consistent.

But given the Toffees recent history with key decisions it would be little surprise for another incident to occur and be awarded the other way before long.

Ultimately the Toffees came away with a point from a third game unbeaten in a scrappy affair, and Jordan Pickford’s penalty save from Gordon will be the prevailing memory for most.

It is without doubt a major frustration that Calvert-Lewin didn’t get the penalty it looked like he deserved, but the result was another step in the right direction, without injured star Jarrad Branthwaite, as they build their way up from a dreadful start to the campaign which put the manager’s job in doubt.

In other Everton news, the Toffees are “definitely” on the way to a completed Dan Friedkin takeover in the latest update.

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