Sean Dyche admitted he is “responsible” for the poor form Everton are enduring at the moment – but insisted his side were denied a penalty during Saturday’s defeat to Bournemouth at Dean Court.
Dominic Solanke broke the deadlock after 64 minutes, but Beto found a late equaliser for the visitors. They were denied a point by an error from Seamus Coleman, who chested the ball into his own net in injury time.
The Toffees had a claim for a penalty waved away in the second half when Dominic Calvert-Lewin was taken down in the box. Afterwards Dyche was left fuming by the lack of an VAR intervention on the incident.
“We’ve had one penalty all season,” he told BBC Match of the Day. “It’s a kick across the shins, it’s a foul, it’s a penalty and yet it is deemed not a penalty. It is bizarre. No one knows where VAR is at at the moment. I’m a fan of it but it is in a bizarre place.
“That being said you cannot give away second goals like that. A mix-up. A voice. A non-voice. We cannot rely on referees – that’s quite obvious today. So we have to make sure we take care of ourselves. That’s what we didn’t do in the dying embers of the game. That second goal just cannot happen.”
The result leaves Everton with no wins in their last 12 Premier League games, their worst run of form in 29 years as they teeter above the relegation zone.
“We’re responsible, I’m responsible,” Dyche admitted. “I didn’t come into it thinking it was a walk in the park. But when things go against you outside your control – the 10 points and the referee today – they are really important moments.
“No doubt about it. We should have come away with a minimum of one point.”
