David Moyes criticises ref for ‘clear’ offside – but Everton “could have been lucky”

Everton manager David Moyes was frustrated with referee Sam Barrott after Liverpool’s 1-0 win as he felt Luis Diaz was “clearly” offside before the winner.

Diaz was in an offside position in the buildup to Diogo Jota‘s strike at Anfield on Wednesday night, but did not affect play until he was onside.

The Colombian then flicked the ball into Jota’s path to allow the Portuguese to do the rest, twisting into space before hammering in to secure the victory.

It was far from the most controversial moment of the game but Moyes dedicated much of his post-match press conference to a decision he felt was “quite an easy one to give.”

“He’s offside. I’ve not had an explanation, but I’ve said that I’m disappointed,” he told reporters.

"When you look at the rules, there was no way this was ever getting overturned"

The studio analyse Diogo Jota's winner and why it wasn't ruled out for offside ? pic.twitter.com/VibcQVscLf

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“It’s quite an easy one to give as well, because all of our players are holding the 18-yard line, Diaz comes from behind and affects Tarky from behind, clearly.

“I’m really surprised it wasn’t given – or maybe I’m not surprised.”

Moyes continued: “I don’t there’s many managers who come here and think they get loads of decisions at Anfield, generally.

“That’s me, that’s my opinion, and this was one here tonight which I think was quite easy.

“He’s along the line, the linesman, it’s really easy to give offside. Very, very easy.

“I wasn’t quite sure how good the linesmen did their jobs tonight, generally, there was some early flags, some late flags. I don’t think they did particularly well at it.”

More astounding was Barrott and VAR Paul Tierney’s failure to spot a clear red card challenge from James Tarkowski on Alexis Mac Allister in the opening stages.

It is an almost universal opinion that Tierney should have recommended a review and Tarkowski dismissed, and Moyes himself admitted his centre-back “could have been lucky.”

“I thought at the time it was a brilliant tackle for a derby game, I mean you people are all asking for it and when you get it you want him sending off,” he said.

“You’ve got to be careful what you wish for, you know?

“I thought it was a brilliant tackle. But since I’ve seen it and I’ve come back in, I think that we could have been lucky that he didn’t get a red.

“It looked high. But it depends on the era you watch your football in.

“To me, I thought at the time it looked a brilliant, brilliant tackle, and I think it probably was. It was the follow-through which looked worse.”