Brentford were reduced to 10 men in controversial fashion after VAR intervention worked in Everton’s favour during their Premier League clash.
Referee Chris Kavanagh initially allowed play to continue when Brentford captain Christian Norgaard collided with Jordan Pickford in the Everton penalty area.
Norgaard, stretching for a loose ball alongside teammate Yoane Wissa, caught the onrushing goalkeeper, leaving Pickford writhing in pain.
Despite no foul being given on the pitch, VAR official Anthony Backhouse deemed the challenge to be serious foul play and recommended Kavanagh review the incident on the pitchside monitor.
After viewing the footage, the referee overturned his original decision and issued a straight red card to Norgaard, leaving Brentford with an uphill battle.
The decision was met with anger in the Brentford dugout, where manager Thomas Frank was booked for protesting the call. The Premier League Communications Centre later clarified the ruling on X (formerly Twitter):
“The referee’s call of no foul by Norgaard on Pickford was checked by the VAR. The VAR deemed that the challenge was serious foul play and recommended an on-field review. The referee overturned his original decision and awarded a red card to Norgaard.”
The dismissal provided Everton a crucial advantage in their quest for three vital points.
