Tuesday 9 December 2014 12:15, UK
Everton manager Roberto Martinez feels his side were hard done by as a debatable penalty proved the difference in their 1-0 defeat at Manchester City.
Referee Andre Marriner pointed to the spot after Phil Jagielka challenged James Milner in the area, and Yaya Toure’s coolly finished spot kick earned City the points.
The Toffees enjoyed a better second half at the Etihad Stadium but couldn’t find a way back, and Martinez insists the hosts should not have been given the opportunity to net the eventual winner.
“James Milner gets there first, but Phil Jagielka cannot disappear,” he said. “He is just travelling in the direction of the ball, James changes the direction of the ball and both bodies come together.
“Football is a contact sport. That’s not Phil Jagielka trying to foul James Milner. If you look at the reaction from James he is trying to get back on his feet and fight for the ball – it’s not a penalty in a million years.
“From a contact point of view, sometimes we get a bit carried away by giving any contact as a penalty, it’s a very similar action as with Frank Lampard and Ross Barkley on the halfway line. They come together and Ross Barkley gets booked, so [I’m] very disappointed.”
If you look at the reaction from James he is trying to get back on his feet and fight for the ball – it’s not a penalty in a million years.
Martinez also bemoaned two decisions by Marriner which saw two City players penalised for challenges with high boots in the air.
Eliaquim Mangala was booked for his challenge on Samuel Eto’o, while Fernando also saw yellow as he flew in on Gareth Barry, but the Everton manager felt the punishments should have been more severe.
“The first one is no doubt [a red],” he added. “Samuel Eto’o is clearly on the ball and Mangala comes from behind. You are going to use your knees to try to jump but he has no chance to get the ball, the knee is super high and the contact is horrific to Samuel’s back.
“You can see the mark now and that’s violent action. The knee could be knee but that wasn’t a natural position to justify that angle. It was a clear view and no block for the referee, that should have been a red.
“Fernando is a high boot, it’s dangerous play, could be a yellow card, there is contact with the head and if the referee sees it then it could be a red. I don’t want every action to be a red card but we are feeling hard done by that three big calls went against us.
“It’s disappointing from that point of view because we let ourselves be affected by it. I thought second half our reaction was good, we were happy with that side of the performance, putting aside the referee’s performance, I thought our first half performance was not as good as it should have been.”
