Sean Dyche gives honest answer on Everton penalty appeal and other controversial moment vs Arsenal

Sean Dyche felt Everton deserved a penalty when the game was goalless in their loss to Arsenal.

The Toffees sank to a fourth Premier League loss in five matches against the Gunners at Goodison Park on Sunday. Leandro Trossard bagged the only goal of the game in the 69th minute.

Everton were toothless throughout the clash but thought they should have had a spot-kick in the 31st minute when Abdoulaye Doucoure burst into the Arsenal box and went to ground. However, the appeal was turned down - which Dyche couldn’t quite fathom. Speaking at his post-match press conference, the Blues manager said: “I don't want it creating too much but I can't work out how we don't get a penalty for Douc for the simple reason that Beto pushes it past a centre-half in the second half and gets booked for a very similar challenge. Then again, we all lose clarity on what penalties are, what penalties are not.”

Dyche was left incensed when just four minutes of stoppage time were signalled after 90 minutes. The Goodison crowd were also baffled that more time was not awarded given that referees since the start of the season are obliged to specifically time interruptions before restarts after a goal, a substitution, an injury or a set-piece.

Dyche added: “Four minutes at the end, two weeks ago (in the 2-2 draw against Sheffield United) they almost can't wait for a goal by adding more minutes onto the eight minutes. I think it was 17 minutes at Villa. I don't know some of these things, I know it will take a while to iron out, who knows? You do need some of these things to work before you and not against you.

“By then, you're searching for a moment but it does happen as we know. Four minutes, I was very surprised and I think everyone in the stadium was very surprised by what we've been told in the directive of the new season. That'd what I see with my eyes, to what the feeling of other games have been and played in - let alone the numbers I've seen across football.

“Four minutes, currently, is almost extraordinary. Last season, it would have been pretty standard whereas now we've been told virtually everything will be stopped. Well, it didn't look like everything was stopped to me today and added on. Arsenal are a very good side, played very well today and we didn't do enough to win.”