'We would have preferred an intervention'

Referee Anthony Taylor is spoken to by Chris Wood and Callum Hudson-Odoi
[Getty Images]

Referees' chief Howard Webb says if Anthony Taylor had been recommended to see Ashley Young's challenge on Callum Hudson-Odoi in Everton's win over Nottingham Forest again, he "probably would have come out with a different outcome".

Forest felt the video assistant referee (VAR) should have overturned three on-field decisions in their favour.

On Tuesday it was revealed the Key Match Incident Panel unanimously agreed Forest should have been given a penalty when Young brought down Hudson-Odoi in the 55th minute of their match at Goodison Park on 21 April.

Speaking on the Sky Sports' Mic'd Up programme, Webb said they "would have preferred an intervention for the referee to go to the screen to make a judgement for himself in this situation and probably would have come out with a different outcome if that would have happened".

However, the former referee felt the other two incidents "were really subjective calls".

On Young's tackle on Gio Reyna in the box, Webb said PGMOL have set "quite a high threshold" for intervention on incidents in the penalty area and that, in this case, there was "minimal contact".

In regards to Young's handball, Webb said VAR agreed with the on-field referee that the defender was attempting to close down a shot from a "short distance" and that his arms were in a "natural position".

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