Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has offered his expert view on whether Everton should have been awarded a first-half penalty, as the Toffees eventually lost to Liverpool 2-1 in the Merseyside Derby.
As expected, the Merseyside Derby’s first instalment at the Hill Dickinson Stadium was a fiery and lively affair.
With local bragging rights at stake, it wasn’t a shock that the latest clash between two of English football’s fiercest foes was entertaining from the get-go.
From the first whistle, the contest was defined by its trademark physicality. Tactical discipline frequently gave way to high-intensity challenges, with a series of aggressive tackles and heated off-the-ball skirmishes erupting as both sides fought to assert their dominance.
These frequent tussles disrupted the flow of the match, underscoring the deep-seated rivalry that consistently characterises the Merseyside Derby.
Thankfully, unlike the last Merseyside Derby during the 2024/25 season which was the final one that took place at Goodison Park, turned ugly with Curtis Jones being sent off after the full-time whistle, Arne Slot’s men managed to keep their heads this time around, as Liverpool’s patient perseverance paid off, courtesy of a 100th-minute winner from captain Virgil Van Dijk.
That isn’t to say Jones wasn’t embroiled in controversy, again, as Everton demanded a penalty was given to them, after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall tumbled to the turf on the 12th minute, after a challenge from Liverpool’s very own impassioned Scouser.
Everton’s shouts for a penalty
David Moyes’ side started the game at a rampaging pace, hopeful that they could pick up a win, during the first-ever Derby at their brand-new stadium.
Dewsbury-Hall, in particular, was causing the Reds all sorts of bother, with the ex-Chelsea midfielder coming off at the end of the high-energy affair with an assist next to his name, when teeing Beto up for the equaliser.
On another day, too, he might well have been awarded a penalty for his early dart forward, but Chris Kavanagh just waved away the number 22’s appeals, to the dismay of Moyes watching on.
The Glaswegian certainly believed there was enough contact for his side to be handed an early spot-kick, after Jones stopped the number 22’s surge forward, when speaking about the incident post-match.
He said: “I thought there was a really good shout for a penalty kick on Kiernan when he went through. I’m not sure what else he’d be expected to do.
“When he goes through, he wouldn’t go down unless he was touched or pushed.”
Unfortunately for Moyes, this incident didn’t go the way of the hosts, with Iliman Ndiaye’s early strike also not standing after VAR intervened.
To rub salt in the wound, just moments after the ex-Sheffield United attacker was denied cruelly by the intervention of VAR, Mohamed Salah would clinically fire Liverpool into the lead, after a defence-splitting pass from Cody Gakpo found him in acres of space.
On another day, the game might well have gone in Everton’s favour if the penalty had been awarded.
But, the script of the match, instead, played out perfectly for the away side, with ex-Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher offering his expert view on Kavanagh waving away the Everton appeals, when speaking on Sky Sports on Monday morning.
Gallagher’s expert view on the penalty call
Gallagher was no stranger to the bright lights of a Merseyside Derby when he was refereeing, with the 68-year-old – who retired in 2007 – overseeing 42 Reds contests across his long-standing career at the very top.
He would have been at the centre of many contentious calls, too, and, when speaking on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, he believed Kavanagh made the right decision to go against the home side’s fervent cries for a penalty.
Dermot Gallagher: Liverpool Refereeing Record:
| Category | Statistic |
| Total matches | 42 |
| Liverpool wins | 20 |
| Draws | 9 |
| Liverpool losses | 13 |
| Yellow cards (to Liverpool) | 39 |
| Second yellows (to Liverpool) | 2 |
| Straight red cards (to Liverpool) | 0 |
| Penalties awarded (to Liverpool) | 5 |
He simply stated, when looking back at the controversial moment in the match: “They’re side by side. It’s a coming together. In the end, he is just too strong for him.”
Ex-Cardiff City striker Jay Boothroyd, who scored one career goal against Liverpool back in 2004, when on the books of Blackburn Rovers, agreed with Gallagher’s verdict.
He said: “I don’t think it’s a penalty. The difference with it is that when you see Curtis Jones come into it, it is shoulder to shoulder. He’s just used his strength…This is shoulder to shoulder.”
Ultimately, Everton will feel hard done by that this decision went against them.
However, both Gallagher and Kavanagh, tasked with making decisive, split-second judgments in a high-pressure environment, agreed that the contact did not warrant a penalty. This pivotal non-call allowed play to continue, with Liverpool eventually capitalizing on the momentum to secure a dramatic 2-1 victory.
