Former Premier League official Dermot Gallagher has said that the referee made the correct decision in awarding Everton a penalty in the Merseyside derby against Liverpool.
Wiht Liverpool leading 1-0 thanks to a Mohamed Salah strike, Everton were given a spot kick after Dejan Lovren made contact with Dominic Calvert-Lewin inside the area, with Wayne Rooney stepping up to score from 12 yards.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp was furious with the decision, but Gallagher agreed with Toffees manager Sam Allardyce that the referee had made the correct call.
Gallagher told Sky Sports News: "I think it is a penalty. It's reminiscent of the penalty Aaron Ramsey got against Burnley a few weeks ago.
"It's not the biggest push in the world but if you put your arms on the back like that, the referee is bound to give a penalty, and he was correct to do so. It was another quality performance in a big derby, this time from referee Craig Pawson."
The converted penalty led to the game ending in a 1-1 draw, with Allardyce extending his unbeaten run in charge of Everton to three matches.
Darren Plant
