FOOTBALL fans have been left baffled after referee Simon Hooper appeared to watch a BLANK VAR pitchside monitor before overturning a penalty decision.
Hooper, 42, had originally awarded a penalty to Everton for an apparent foul on Dominic Calvert-Lewin committed by Brighton’s Lewis Dunk.
The spot-kick would have handed the Toffees the chance to equalise early in the second half.
Hooper was called over to the VAR monitor to double-check his decision before he overturned the penalty.
However, the main monitor appeared to only show the generic VAR and Premier League logos, rather than a replay of the incident – something Toffees goalkeeper Jordan Pickford also picked up on as he protested the call.
Fans reacted to the decision with surprise on social media, with one saying: “That is absolutely a penalty on Calvert-Lewin. What an absolutely atrocious decision that is. Dunk drags his foot away.”
A second said: “Did Hooper even look at the Calvert-Lewin penalty on the screen yesterday? Pickford looked like he was going mad pointing at the screen to him?”
A third added: “Whether Simon Hooper has watched that back on VAR or not, it’s a disgrace to overturn it.”
Despite Hooper appearing to have not viewed the screen, the official’s match report said he had watched on a back-up monitor – located on the ground below the main monitor facing upwards.
The Premier League match centre account posted: “The referee awarded a penalty to Everton for a foul by Dunk on Calvert-Lewin.
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“The VAR recommended an on-field review as he deemed Calvert-Lewin’s foot landed on Dunk’s foot and there was no foul.
“The referee overturned the original decision and play restarted with a drop ball.”
Brighton went on to win the game 3-0, with Ashley Young also sent off late on.
Sean Dyche was also left enraged by the decision to overturn the penalty.
He said: “I can’t work it out on the penalty. He (the referee) makes a decision in a perfect viewing point and lo and behold is called over to overturn it.
“So what is the point of a high bar then? We’ve had meetings about it.
“Their player is out of control on the floor and drags his foot along with the top of his foot and the bottom of Dom’s so that clearly pulls him to the ground.
“That is contact in the box and we have all seen the tiniest things given as a penalty – someone treads on a toe and they give a penalty. So I think we are all confused by this.”
Meanwhile, Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler said it was “clear” the original penalty call was wrong and should have been overturned.
Changes to the Premier League for 2024/25
NOTHING stays the same forever.
And that includes the Premier League, which is making a number of tweaks this season.
Team news will now be released 75 MINUTES before kick-off, 15 minutes earlier than had been the case before.
Things could get crowded on the touchline, with the number of substitutes permitted to warm-up boosted from three players per team to FIVE.
There’s also a change to how added time is calculated when a team scores a goal, an update to the ‘multiball’ system and the introduction of semi-automated offsides– but not straight away.
Go here to read about all the changes to the Premier League for 2024/25.