Everton, it could be argued, were rather fortunate to taste victory over Nottingham Forest yesterday afternoon.
But they won’t care.
They were resolute and uncharacteristically proficient, with two long-range pinpoint strikes from Idrissa Gana Gueye and Dwight McNeil providing the difference.
The best metric to showcase their supposed luck is the expected goals, of which the visitors amassed 0.95 to the Toffees’ 0.34.
However, perhaps Forest’s biggest grievance came from the three penalty shouts that were all waved away.
Ashley Young delivers cheeky post-match interview
Ashley Young dealt with Callum Hudson-Odoi well all match admittedly, but there were a few scary moments where he looked like he might be caught out.
However, in the end, all three contentious decisions would be waved away, prompting the official Nottingham Forest X account to write: ‘Three extremely poor decisions – three penalties not given – which we simply cannot accept. We warned the PGMOL that the VAR is a Luton fan before the game but they didn’t change him. Our patience has been tested multiple times.
‘NFFC will now consider its options.’
A message akin to something a disgruntled fan sat in the pub might write, and ironically enough, directed in the way of an Everton side that has been denied blatant penalty after blatant penalty all season, it was embarrassing.
However, Young would deliver his own assessment, in cheeky, lackadaisical fashion.
When asked if he thought the referee had made the correct calls, he simply said: ‘All of them were right. None of them were given, were they? It (my face) is saying none of them were given.’
Then, when asked about what he said to the opposition players, he maintained this trend: ‘I think they were claiming for everything. And obviously, We are talking during the game, and I think the referee was spot-on.’
Should Everton have conceded three penalties?
Whilst the 38-year-old full-back almost has to say this, most of us can admit that Everton got away with one on more than one occasion yesterday.
The first saw Young kick through the back of Gio Reyna, and whilst there was contact, it was not really enough to send the young American sprawling in the manner it did.
The second, and a far stronger shout, was the handball.
However, again, firing the ball on the volley from about two yards away at Young, whilst his arm is only slightly outstretched, would have been a supremely harsh call to be made.
And the third and final one again saw Hudson-Odoi involved, as he seemed to be goal side of Young and in to equalise.
But the former Aston Villa and Manchester United winger would stretch a leg out, and whilst he went through the winger to get the ball, get it he did.
There are valid claims for all three, but also equally strong defences. They could have gone either way, and on this day, for a pleasant change, they fell in Everton’s favour.