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David Moyes has voiced his frustration with the performance of referee Darren England in Everton's 2-1 defeat to Liverpool on Saturday.
First-half goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike continued the champions’ winning start to the new season, although Everton did pose a threat in the second half and pulled one back via Idrissa Gueye.
After the full-time whistle, Moyes and Jack Grealish were seen remonstrating with the officials, with the Everton contingent disappointed by what they felt was a lenient approach given to Liverpool fouls, while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was oddly shown a yellow card for taking a quick free-kick.
Speaking after the game, Moyes voiced his frustration, telling BeIN Sports: “Everybody who's connected with Everton will tell you that coming to Anfield to try and get decisions is difficult.
“I continue to mention it because last year we lost 1-0 to what looked like an offside goal. That was given.
“Today I found it really difficult to think there was only three minutes added time on. I also found it difficult that there were quite a lot of free-kicks and the referee said we couldn't play until he was ready.
“We're trying to help our players all the time. We get done a couple of times last week against Aston Villa. They played quick free kicks, balls over. I didn't see the referee pulling that back.”
Grealish echoed those complaints. “I've never seen a player in my whole life get booked for taking a quick free-kick,” he told TNT Sports. “I don't know where that rules come in.
“Even the stoppage time, what was it, three minutes and one minute? Come on, I've never seen that in the Premier League in the last two or three years.
“You can't not give something for us and then two seconds later one of their defenders gets touched in the back, goes down and he gives it. I get it, you come to these stadiums and the crowd are on you and I think they feel like they've got to give it.”
Meanwhile, Moyes admitted his side were “dominated” by Liverpool in the first half but was pleased with the spirit shown in the second period.
“I’m always disappointed to lose a game, 2-0 down at half-time, I was concerned where it might get to if we didn't do better. We certainly did do much better in the second half, performed better, became more aggressive in the whole round play.
“We didn't start the game well, but I have to give praise to Liverpool, they made it difficult and I think their two goals were really well-worked goals.
“They dominated us physically and technically with the ball as well. We had a problem in the first half but we hung in the best we could, got to half-time and I thought things improved a bit.
“This is probably as tough in a league game as you can nearly get, and it also is a derby for us which makes it more galling when we don't win.”
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