Everton have received an apology from referees’ chief Mike Riley after they were denied a penalty in last weekend’s defeat to Manchester City.
Match official Paul Tierney and VAR operator Chris Kavanagh refused to award the Blues a spot kick after Rodri handled the ball in the penalty area late on.
Tierney later issued a yellow card to first-team coach Ashley Cole for airing his grievances about the controversial decision immediately after the final whistle.
Frank Lampard laid blame for the oversight on Kavanagh, describing the decision as ‘incompetence at best’ as the visitors eked out a 1-0 victory.
Riley, as head of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited, has since called both the Everton manager and chairman Bill Kenwright to apologise.
But the incident could have wider implications in the club’s battle for Premier League survival as they risk falling into the relegation zone on Tuesday night.
Should Burnley avoid defeat against Leicester City, a superior goal difference would plunge Everton into the bottom three despite playing a game less.
Lampard’s side face an FA Cup fifth round tie with National League outfit Boreham Wood on Thursday before their trip to Tottenham next Monday.