Alan Shearer delivers new Everton vs Arsenal penalty verdict as Myles Lewis-Skelly claim made

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Alan Shearer believes Everton should not have been awarded a penalty against Arsenal. The Toffees held the Gunners to a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon after Iliman Ndiaye levelled proceedings from 12 yards.

Leandro Trossard broke the deadlock shortly before half-time after Arsenal caught Everton on the counter-attack. Then, just moments after the break, David Moyes' side were awarded a penalty following an incident between Myles Lewis-Skelly and Jack Harrison.

Darren England adjudged the Hale End graduate to have fouled the Toffees winger, pointing to the spot. Stuart Atwell, the Video Assistant Referee, and Wade Smith, his assistant at Stockley Park, reviewed the collision and confirmed the on-field official's call.

Ndiaye equalised for Everton, who held out for a point. Speaking Match of the Day after the game, Shearer described the decision as 'very harsh' while Danny Murphy suggested that Harrison should've been penalised and not Lewis-Skelly.

The former Liverpool midfielder began: "I personally make him right. It was a weird one for me because part of me – with my Liverpool bias – thinks please give the penalty. Actually, I think it’s a really bad decision.

"It’s never a penalty to me. If anything, you could actually argue that Harrison giving it him. They’re both tugging and pulling each other for a bit, and we’ll see on these replays, it’s a bit soft isn’t it?”

Shearer added: "I think it’s very, very soft, yes. I think either way you look at it, no, not enough to give a penalty for me, no. They’re not going to overturn it, once they’ve given it.

"There is a little bit of contact, once he falls or pulls him onto him, he just clips his leg. Not for me, no. I think that’s very, very harsh."

Meanwhile, on TNT Sports, Martin Keown said: "Initially, Myles Lewis-Skelly doesn’t really get the flight of the ball and he’s trying to get his body in the way. But I don’t believe there’s enough contact there for a penalty and it’s very soft.

"I’m not sure where the contact is. I can understand Harrison wants to go down and there’s a tugging match. But is there any real contact? What I would say if I was working with the player: he uses his body brilliantly, it’s one of his strengths."

The Arsenal legend added: "But there are occasions where you just have to go towards the ball. That will be one of those where he’ll look back and go, ‘Do you know what? Maybe I should have just tried to clear it’. But I’m not sure he’s really made the foul there, but once the referee gives it, I don’t think VAR is going against it."

Speaking to Football Insider, Keith Hackett agreed with the former pros. The ex-PGMOL chief said: "When you look at the penalty kick awarded by Darren England in the Everton vs Arsenal game, it is extremely harsh.

"On a closer look at the incident, you see that the Everton player [Harrison] initiated the contact and then both players tangled with each other. For me, a free kick, safe refereeing, to the defending team should have been the outcome, certainly not a penalty kick awarded."

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