Crystal Palace boss disagrees with decision in Everton defeat

Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson disagreed with the decision from referee Sam Barrott to book Eberechi Eze for diving in their 3-2 defeat at home to Everton on Saturday afternoon.

Eze won his first penalty in the fifth minute when he burst through the Everton midfield and into the area, with Jarred Branthwaite bringing the attacker down.

The 25-year-old converted past Jordan Pickford to bring the game level.

England international Eze then went down again in the box in the 24th minute under pressure from Branthwaite and Amadou Onana, but referee Barrott booked him for diving.

Everton won the five-goal contest in the 86th minute through Idrissa Gana Gueye.

“He doesn’t simulate,” said Hodgson.

“If you know the player then you would know that if Eze gets into a situation where he has beat someone on the goal line and is looking for a chance to shoot or score or pass the ball to someone else, he doesn’t simulate.

“Whether it was a penalty or not? I don’t know.

“But it wasn’t simulation and I did mention that to Anthony Taylor [the fourth official]. The referee doesn’t know Eze and the type of person he is, so he sees it as simulation and gives him a yellow card.

“It only makes a difference because Eze then has to be careful with every challenge. He bumped into someone five minutes later and the whole Everton bench was screaming for him to be sent off.”

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD