Everton: Martin Keown in no doubt as he explains why VAR didn’t award penalty vs West Ham

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David Moyes showed his frustration after the full-time whistle, as he bemoaned the lack of reaction from the officials to a penalty shout that his team had in the 85th minute. Everton’s defeat to West Ham was not met well by the Scot, who clearly felt that his team should have been given the chance to convert from the spot.

West HamStatsEverton44%Possession56%1.17xG1.453Shots on Target33Big Chances123Touches in Opposition Box283Corners4The final stats from Everton’s defeat away at West Ham.Referee Stuart Atwell was unmoved by the Merseysiders’ strong appeals for a penalty, and VAR official Michael Salisbury suggested that the incident was a “total accident” and thus decided not to overturn his colleague’s initial decision. “He’s grappling with his opponent, he’s got his arms wrapped around him, and if your hand does hit the ball, then you have to take the punishment.

“The referee has a good view of it though, and it seems at the moment that VAR doesn’t really want to interfere with the referee’s decision.”What has David Moyes said about the incident?Moyes returned to his former club West Ham for Saturday’s clash, but he left his old stomping ground feeling frustrated that his team hadn’t been able to leave with anything to show for their efforts. VAR ruled in West Ham’s favour. pic.twitter.com/3UZ7AgQE83— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) April 25, 2026 View Tweet The veteran boss explained during his post-match interview that he had spoken to Attwell and the officiating team after the game and made it clear that he felt Fernandes was the only player who was grappling during the incident.He then went on to suggest that it was VAR’s decision to make, and added that he was “amazed” that they didn’t view it as a penalty kick for his team.