Jack Grealish Criticizes Referee Over Controversial Premier League Decision
Jack Grealish voiced his frustration at the referee following Everton’s 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, slamming the enforcement of a rule he claimed he had “never heard of in his life” during a heated post-match interview.
The Merseyside derby at Anfield saw Liverpool edge out Everton in a tight contest. Ryan Gravenberch opened the scoring early in the 10th minute, and Hugo Ekitike added a second with a composed finish. Everton responded with determination after the break, and Idrissa Gueye pulled one back just before the hour mark.
David Moyes’ side ramped up the pressure in search of an equaliser. However, controversy struck when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall attempted a quick free-kick, only for referee Darren England to halt play—and then issue a yellow card to the midfielder. The decision left Moyes and TNT Sports commentators Darren Fletcher and Ally McCoist baffled, with both questioning the call.
After the match, Grealish spoke to TNT Sports and expressed disbelief over the booking:
“I’ve never seen a player get booked in my life for taking a quick free-kick… I don’t know where that rule has come from,” he said.
Reflecting on the game, Grealish described the atmosphere as intense and admitted Everton struggled in the first half:
“It was hostile, fast-paced—what I expected. We didn’t play well before the break, had a talk with the manager at halftime, and came out better. It’s frustrating because if we had played like that from the start, it could’ve been a different outcome. We just couldn’t find that equaliser in the end.”
He also noted Liverpool’s pattern of letting teams back into matches:
“They’ve been strong this season, but they’ve had moments where they’ve gone 2-0 up and let teams come back. We believed we could do it. Idrissa’s goal gave us hope, but we couldn’t find the second.”
Despite a solid performance from Grealish, it wasn’t enough to change the result. Everton will now turn their attention to the Carabao Cup clash against Wolves on Tuesday before facing West Ham in the Premier League on September 29.
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