‘I felt for him’: David Moyes hits out at the referee after Everton’s 2-0 defeat at Arsenal

David Moyes has openly criticised referee Tony Harrington after Everton’s 2-0 defeat at Arsenal, saying he “felt for” the official because he thought he was “really poor”.

It is back-to-back Premier League defeats for the Toffees, with Ezri Konsa and Gabriel on target for the hosts at the Emirates Stadium. Konsa struck early, which made an already tough task even harder for Everton.

Everton did respond well to going a goal down, but Arsenal’s quality told and Gabriel’s goal ended any hope of a comeback. Next up for Moyes’ side is Newcastle United next Monday.

What did David Moyes say about Tony Harrington after Arsenal 2-0 Everton?

Speaking after the game, as reported by BBC Sport, an irritated Moyes was asked about a booking and said:

“I don’t know (why he was booked). I felt for (the referee) today because I thought he was really poor, so I felt for him.”

Cameras also showed Moyes shouting at Harrington as the pair walked down the tunnel at half-time.

Why was Moyes so angry at half-time?

Pundit Paul Merson addressed the tunnel incident on Sky Sports News. “David Moyes won’t be happy. They get a corner and from the corner they score and he (Moyes) thinks it’s a foul on the halfway line. I haven’t seen it but I heard it on the commentary and that’s what he was arguing about. He wasn’t happy with that,” Merson said.

That goal was Arsenal’s first set-piece goal of the season, and the first set-piece goal Everton have conceded. It was a terrible start for a side who needed to be solid, and the early goal just turned the hill into a mountain.

How did Tony Harrington handle Arsenal vs Everton?

Harrington’s display was not a great one. He showed three yellow cards to Everton players and one to an Arsenal player, and both managers were booked too. He also stopped play when Gabriel was down in his own area, even though it was not a head injury.

Author Opinion: can Everton blame the referee?

Not really. Everton cannot look at the man in the middle as the reason they lost, because they simply were not good enough across several departments. Arsenal were deserved winners, and Moyes himself accepted his side came up short.

This is not a game to dwell on too much. Arsenal are a great side and will again challenge for the title, and the focus for Everton, whose chaotic summer and selection debates are well documented, has to be Newcastle United on Monday.