The Everton manager Roberto Martinez has admitted to feeling ‘pure anger’ after his side conceded a 98th minute equaliser at Stamford Bridge on Saturday; a goal for which John Terry was in an offside position according to replays.
The Everton manager said, “It’s heartbreaking. Seven minutes of injury time, the last action happens in 97 minutes 51 seconds and John Terry is two yards offside. Maybe refs need a bit of help. But to have a player two yards off in the box is unacceptable”.
Everton took a 2-0 lead before being pegged back to 2-2 thanks to goals from Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas. They then re-took the lead when Ramiro Funes Mori put them ahead in the 90th minute and thought they’d won the tie, only for the Chelsea captain to atone for an earlier own goal with his controversial equaliser.
The equalising goal was a great piece of improvisational skill from the former England captain, back heeling it past the onrushing Tim Howard. That won’t have appeased Martinez, though, who felt that the officials made ‘two major errors’ in the build up to the goal. Terry being offside was one, with the goal coming after all of the stoppage time had been played being another.
The Toffees are now without a win in their past four games and have only one won of their last nine matches in the Premier League. Of the decision not to flag Terry as offside the Spaniard said, “There is no explanation. It’s a big, big error. It’s not good enough”.
Surprisingly for a Premier League manager Guus Hiddink, the defending champions’ interim manager, was quite candid about the referee’s decision and admitted that Chelsea were lucky. He said, “is quite right, he was offside. Sometimes it’s in our favour, I’ve seen it. Oscar touched the ball and John was offside but he made a beautiful goal”.
Hiddink also felt that the referee was justified in playing an extra minute of added time because of the fact that Everton’s players celebrated their goal for so long. He said, “There was seven minutes extra time. I said to the fourth referee, ‘OK they are celebrating at least one minute in the corner’”.