Jack Grealish was left frustrated and David Moyes was baffled by decisions from the referee in Everton’s defeat to Liverpool.
Ryan Gravenberch put Liverpool ahead after just 10 minutes from Mohamed Salah’s pass, before Hugo Ekitike doubled Liverpool’s lead after 29 minutes with a cool finish from Gravenberch’s pass.
Idrissa Gueye pulled one back for Everton with a powerful drive just before the hour. But the game was marred by some controversy.
Everton’s Jack Grealish and manager David Moyes took issue with the refereeing. A yellow card was given to teammate Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall for taking a quick free-kick, with Grealish calling it unprecedented, and questioned the minimal three-minute stoppage time.
He felt the officiating favoured Liverpool, especially at home, and was further surprised by his own yellow card after the match for protesting.
Despite the loss, Grealish praised his move to Everton, crediting Moyes for reigniting his passion for the game.
Moyes echoed Grealish’s concerns, criticising the referee’s control over the game’s pace, disallowing quick play, and the short stoppage time.
Jack Grealish & referees at the end of the Merseyside Derby Liverpool vs Everton. #LIVEVE #derbymerseysidepic.twitter.com/cYNmg4oXWU
— 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐃𝐀𝐘! (@TodayMatchHD) September 20, 2025
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall booked for taking a free-kick against Liverpool 🤣🤣🤣
You read my tweet right. Booked for taking a free-kick against Liverpool.
PGMOL 🤝 LFC pic.twitter.com/AbJPqDHY9p
— Lea (@Lea_EFC) September 20, 2025
Everton’s Jack Grealish, speaking to TNT Sports: “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. 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.”
Grealish, speaking to TNT Sports: “I have never in my life seen a player get booked for taking a quick free-kick. I don’t know where that rule has come from. Even stoppage time, three minutes – come on! I have never seen that in the Premier League in the last few years.
“I get sometimes you want to let the game go but you can’t not give something for us and then one of their players gets touched in the back and goes down. I get it. You come to these stadiums and the crowd are on you. I think they feel they have to give it. Kiernan gets a yellow for taking a free-kick, we are losing, I have never heard of that in my life.”
On whether his move to Everton has resurrected his career: “100%. The manager has come out a few times and said it’s not down to me, it’s down to Jack. I have come here and he has been so so good, I love playing for him. As soon as I spoke to him I just knew I wanted to come and play for him. I thank him for giving me my love back and waking up on a matchday with a smile and wanting to play again. I want to come here and make a difference in games like today.”
Grealish, speaking to BBC MOTD on his yellow card after final whistle: “It was because he gave Kiernan [Dewsbury-Hall] a yellow card for taking a quick free-kick. I was like ‘what are you doing?’ We are losing, we want to get the ball back in play and he gives him a yellow card. It baffles me. So unheard of. I think he is on four yellow cards now and if he gets one more he gets banned.
“And where do you get three minutes [of stoppage time] from and one minute in the first half? I have never heard of that either. Come on. It is usually four or five minutes. It is what it is and we move on. I didn’t even know he gave me a yellow, that is news to me.
“I’ve never seen a player in my whole life get booked for taking a quick free-kick”
Jack Grealish wasn’t happy with the officiating against Liverpool 🗣
🎙@julesbreach | 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/3cHecp6DUn
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 20, 2025
Everton boss David Moyes, speaking to TNT Sports: “A lot of things that weren’t so good in the first half, a lot of good things in the second half. We probably just let it gt a bit far away from us. The players never gave up. We did some good things but not enough to get the result today.
“There wasn’t enough [chances]. Liverpool didn’t have many more than us but they we e more clinical. They looked more decisive in the final third. Not an easy game for anyone coming here, never mind us.”
On the refereeing: “We have been here so many times and I don’t want to sound like and old fart saying the same things but I found three minutes amazing at the end of the second half. We wanted to play quickly, I have seen lots of teams score from quick free-kick but we couldn’t do anything quickly because we had to wait on the referees whistle all the time. I found some of the decisions really strange. We have come to get used to that and everyone is aware of that.”
On strong start to season: “We showed signs of what we can do. This might be the hardest away games so we have to accept it but a lot of good things going on. We have won a lot of games away from home and I am hoping we can continue that.”
Moyes, speaking to BBC MOTD: “We were much closer. The performance in second half warranted to get something but we gave too much in the first half.”
On whether tackle on Iliman Ndiaye in lead up to first Liverpool goal was a foul: “I have not seen it again I couldn’t be sure. I probably would have said it wasn’t a foul but there is a lot of other things that I could have said, but I won’t if you don’t mind.
“The boys never gave up and showed a great deal of resilience.”
On Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall booking for quick free-kick: “The bigger thing is the game seemed to be controlled by the referee, we couldn’t start anything quickly. We couldn’t play. I have had played plenty of games where teams have taken quick free-kicks and it hasn’t been the referees’ whistle.
“He never allowed us to get the game under way fast when we wanted to. I found it strange there was only three minutes [of stoppage time] . If Liverpool were 2-0 down I’m not sure if three minutes would have been put up.”
“I found some of the decisions really strange, but we’ve come to get used to that here”
David Moyes wasn’t happy with the officiating in the Merseyside derby, but was proud of Everton’s performance 👏
🎙@julesbreach | 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/64Bd3ROSs7
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 20, 2025
Liverpool boss Arne Slot, speaking to BBC MOTD: “Very [satisfied], taking everything into account that we had to play our third game in seven games, having the early kick-off. I don’t care at all about the early kick-off but I do care if you have to play on Wednesday night then you have to manage this through the whole week.
“Taking that all into account and winning the derby with a great first half performance, it is good.”
On the goals: “This is what you get when you are fresh but we were tired in the second half for obvious reasons. Our mentality kept us in the game because they didn’t have another chance after their 2-1 goal. We have showed great mentality and showed great quality when we were fresh in the first half.”
Liverpool goalscorer Ryan Gravenberch, speaking to BBC MOTD: “Really happy. It’s tough against Everton but we did really good and in the end got the three points so I am really happy.
On his goal: “Mo [Salah] got the ball and I know when he gets the ball there was a lot of space in behind. I didn’t think and put it in so I am really happy.”
On the early kick-off after a Champions League game mid-week: “This one was quite tough. It was less time in between. Normally we play on the Sunday or in the evening but we recovered well. It’s tough but we keep going.”
On the nervy finish: “When they scored they came on more and more. We had the chance to score one more but if you don’t do it they keep coming and we keep defending. We have a good defending line so it was still 2-1 and I am really happy with the three points.
“We had the opportunity to score more but 2-1, especially in this game, you have to defend. Next time we don’t concede.”
Is right, Davey Moyes 🔵😂 pic.twitter.com/LXfySdiHOV
— Kieran Ray (@KRay1807) September 20, 2025
Here’s how fans reacted with Grealish frustrated and Moyes baffled by referee decisions in Everton’s defeat to Liverpool…
@EddieTheGunner: Investigate Darren England…some of the decisions were laughable
@masfrn_: 3 mins added time hahahaha. Youll never see another team get booked for taking a free kick quick
@Lea_EFC: Jack Grealish calling out the corruption in the Premier League. My winger 🤝
@DavidArrow04: Fair play to Grealish and Moyes for calling out the referee. Won’t change anything, and they’ll probably get a fine for telling it as it is, but the whole of football is finally waking up to the level of bias the lovable reds get from officials.
@dxhtyy: Well said, officiating is at an all time low
@PortlandToffee: And he was 100% right in everything he said.
@harleyrefc: What a bloke. Speaks so well and can see his passion. Also he has the balls to speak out and be honest about things that have happened in the game instead of beating around the bush. Jack grealish top player
@KevTweetEFC: Great listen that, he’s so good, so knowledgeable and so honest. We all watched how the ref performed…. unfortunately they’ll always be the same and there’s nothing you can do. Pathetic but we go again.
@JeffWallner: Welcome to life at most of the PL clubs, Jack. Different rules for Everton. Protecting the hierarchy at all costs.
