David Moyes baffled by Merseyside derby decision as Liverpool claims bragging rights

David Moyes was left fuming after a decision not to award Everton a first-half penalty against Liverpool, with the Everton boss questioning the referee's call involving Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

Everton boss David Moyes felt his side deserved more against Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)

David Moyes believes Everton ought to have been awarded a first-half penalty when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall appeared to be bundled over by Liverpool right-back Curtis Jones.

The Blues midfielder had surged through the Liverpool defence and looked poised to collect a ball over the top to present Dewsbury-Hall with a golden opportunity to put his side ahead.

Instead, he tumbled to the ground only for referee Chris Kavanagh to dismiss the protests of those in Royal Blue - leaving Moyes incensed on the touchline. He would be devastated at the final whistle as Virgil van Dijk headed in a dramatic winner deep into injury time.

Asked whether he felt Everton should have been given a penalty, the manager, who in the build-up to the fixture complained over his perception the Reds tend to receive more favourable decisions, said: "I do, yeah. Why would he go down if he's not?

"You might say it could go down as a soft contact or whatever but, well, if he touches him at all, why would he not [take the chance to shoot], he's in on goal to shoot and finish, why would he not take the opportunity to do that?"

Beyond that decision, Moyes felt his side merited the point that was snatched from them by Virgil van Dijk's header in the tenth minute of added time.

The Blues boss said: "We didn't deserve the outcome we got, football's cruel sometimes and we have to bounce back and go again when adversity goes against you."

Everton had done precisely that when Beto levelled in the second half to cancel out Mohamed Salah's opener — a goal that had arrived against the run of play following an impressive start that the hosts had failed to capitalise on.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall of Everton is challenged by Curtis Jones(Image: Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Moyes, who admitted he was "worried" about the fitness of Jarrad Branthwaite after the centre-back was stretchered off late in the match, said: "I thought we were the better team for the first 25-30 minutes, I don't know how long, but I thought Liverpool were better in the period just before half-time."

"They started the second half a little bit better, but when we got back in with a goal, I thought that we were the better team."

"If anybody was going to score, it was certainly going to be us."

"I don't think the injuries we had helped us in some ways, you know, just to change it, but hey, I've got no problem, the players did a great job today, did a good job in competing against a really strong team."

"We showed that we're not too far away."