Lampard directs anger at VAR after defeat at former club

Lampard criticized VAR after Coventry's loss at Everton, claiming three key decisions went against his side including a disallowed penalty and a goal he says involved a handball.

Frank Lampard launched a strong attack on VAR following Coventry City's defeat at his former club Everton. The Coventry manager identified three controversial moments he believed should have gone his team's way.

Lampard's first complaint came before half-time when Everton defender James Tarkowski pulled Caleb Yirenkyi's hair during an aerial challenge. Lampard felt this warranted a penalty, saying Yirenkyi could not jump properly as a result. In the second half, Taiwo Awoniyi was brought down by Vitalii Mykolenko in the penalty area, but VAR ruled the contact occurred outside the box—a decision Lampard disputed, pointing out the defender's foot was on the line.

The manager's biggest frustration came from Thierno Barry's second goal for Everton. Lampard insisted Barry used his hand to control the ball before scoring, though VAR reviewed the incident and upheld referee Stuart Attwell's decision. 'Barry's second goal comes from his hand,' Lampard said. 'I don't want to sound like I'm complaining, but big decisions can change matches. That's disappointing.' Sky Sports analyst Jamie Redknapp agreed Coventry deserved penalties for the Tarkowski and Mykolenko incidents, though he was less certain about the handball claim. Everton manager David Moyes acknowledged some of Lampard's points but noted his own side had also faced unfavourable decisions recently.