Former England defender calls for 10 game ban after Everton incident

Chris Kavanagh should be banned from controlling VAR for 10 matches after failing to award Everton a clear penalty against Manchester City.

That's the view of pundit and former England defender Danny Mills, who believes officials are not facing real consequences for their actions.

The controversial moment occurred late in the game at Goodison Park last Saturday, when City midfielder Rodri appeared to clearly control the ball with his arm in his own 18-yard box.

Referee Paul Tierney failed to spot the incident on the pitch, but when it was reviewed by VAR, Kavanagh allowed the match to continue without Tierney viewing the infringement on the pitch side monitor.

It would prove to be a significant moment in the match, with City going on to secure a narrow 1-0 victory.

On Tuesday, Sky Sports confirmed that Premier League Referee's chief, Mike Riley, had personally phoned both Everton manager Frank Lampard and Chairman Bill Kenwright to apologise for the failure to award a penalty kick.

But although Lampard has now said that he wishes to move on from the injustice, former Leeds United and Manchester City fullback Mills insists that the apology is "hollow and means nothing".

Speaking to Football Insider, Mills said: “I think Chris Kavanagh should be banned from doing VAR for 10 games, it was a horrific decision.

"He should have to come out and explain his decision to everybody.

“Getting an apology from Mike Riley ‘Sorry, we got it wrong’. Big deal. It’s insincere, a little bit of a joke of an apology. It’s hollow and means nothing.

“Referees work in the public eye, they get paid as professionals. If you make such bad mistakes of a high profile nature, you have to face consequences and there are no consequences whatsoever for