Jack Grealish clashes with the ref and fumes at two decisions – ‘I’ve never seen this’

Jack Grealish was left fuming after Everton’s 2-1 defeat to Liverpool in the Merseyside derby, with the England winger confronting referee Darren England at full-time

Jack Grealish was left seething with two refereeing decisions following Everton’s Merseyside derby loss to Liverpool at Anfield.

An incensed Grealish confronted referee Darren England at the final whistle after Liverpool’s 2-1 triumph, with the Toffees star receiving a yellow card after the match had ended.

Grealish later confessed he was baffled to witness Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall cautioned for taking a free-kick too swiftly as his team pursued an equaliser, whilst he was also incensed by referee England’s decision to permit merely three additional minutes at the match’s conclusion.

“It was frustrating in the second half, and obviously they were trying to slow the game,” said Grealish. “I’ve never seen a player in my whole life get booked for taking a quick free-kick. I don’t know where that rule has come in.

“And even stoppage time, what was it three minutes [in the second half] and one minute [in the first]. Like, come on. I’ve never seen that in the Premier League in the last two or three years,” reports the Liverpool Echo.

Grealish shone as Everton battled back from a two-goal deficit caused by strikes from Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike, with Idrissa Gueye netting a consolation for the Blues.

Reflecting on his maiden derby encounter, Grealish added: “It was what I expected, coming here it was hostile, faster.

“I don’t think we played well in the first-half, we came in a half-time and had a chat with the manager and then second half, we lost the game in the second half.

“It was frustrating because if we had played like that, pressed like that from the start it would have been a different game. In the end we couldn’t get that last goal.

“When I have watched them [Liverpool] this season they have been so good but there has been a few times they have gone 2-0 up and then conceded two, we had the belief.

“We got the one back, a great finish Idrissa [Gueye] but we couldn’t get that last goal.”