Everton Boss Marco Silva expresses need for VAR as his toffee’s side crashed out of the FA Cup

After Everton lost 3-2 to Millwall yesterday Marco Silva stated how he was confused that VAR was not in use at the game telling BBC Sport:

“You have to do it for all the games. You have to be fair.”

“If the competition has VAR for some stadiums then it has to have it in all.”

Had the match been played at Goodison Park then the incident in question would have been ruled out. Millwall scored an equaliser, though the replays showed that the ball had touched Jake Cooper’s arm as it went into the back of the net making it then 2-2.

Cooper did, however, admit that the ball touched his arm, his comment then made it’s way to Millwall manager Neil Harris:

“Someone said Jake was honest enough to say the ball hit his arm.”

“I’ve not seen it again. If we got a little bit of fortune on that then we have had very little luck this season and conceded a lot of last-minute goals.

“If we had a moment of fortune then we’ll take that certainly.”

Harris was shown frantically telling club officials to stop showing the replay in an attempt to make sure the goal stood.

Silva also had this to say about the decision:

“It was a clear handball. I’m sure handball is not allowed in football. We had seven, eight players in the penalty area. They all see that it’s handball, so it’s really difficult that the referee cannot see that also.

“And then it’s also on the big screen, thousands of people see it there but the referee didn’t see it again.

“It was really strange in that moment.”

The system is only used in FA Cup games at Premier League grounds this season, the officials were able to use the system at Brighton & Hove Albion vs West Brom however Chris Hughton was left disappointed that VAR wasn’t used to determine whether his side should have had a penalty. He told BBC Sport:

“My first impression was that it was penalty, the ball came off the post but Locadia was impeded in their box and went down. I am really surprised it wasn’t picked up.”

Next season VAR will be used in all grounds in the FA Cup and  Premier League, a welcoming sign for both managers, however, there are still issues with the technology and it’s inplementation, meanings issues will still occur.