Jack Grealish lays into Liverpool vs Everton ref after Jordan Pickford forced to step in

Everton forward Jack Grealish was left furious with referee Darren England after the Toffees were narrowly beaten by Liverpool. Goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike fired the Reds into an early lead, with the hosts bossing the opening 45 minutes. The tide turned after the break as Everton grew into the game and they got their reward when Idrissa Gueye pulled one back just before the hour mark.

The visitors huffed and puffed in search of a late equaliser but were unable to break through, with Liverpool holding on to secure a nervy victory. Everton were left feeling aggrieved at some of the refereeing decisions, particularly the one which saw Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall booked for taking a quick free-kick. The amount of stoppage time at the end of the second half also proved to be a talking point.

Grealish angrily confronted England on the pitch after the final whistle, with Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford stepping in to calm things down. In his post-match interview on TNT Sports, the winger did not hold back in his criticism of England's display.

"I've never seen a player in my life getting booked for taking a quick free-kick," fumed the on-loan Manchester City man. "I don't know where that rule has come in.

"Yeah, even the stoppage time, what was it, three minutes and one minute? Come on, I've never seen that in the Premier League in the last two or three years, so yeah."

Grealish added: "Sometimes you want to let the game go and I completely get that, but you can't not give something for us and then two seconds later one of their defenders gets touched in the back and he goes down and he [England] gives it.

"I'm just like, you can't do that. I get it, sometimes you came to those stadiums and the crowd are on you and they [referees] feel like they've got to give it.

"Kiernan is on four yellows, I think he's got one more [until a one-game ban], and he gets a yellow today for taking a quick free-kick. We want to get the game going, we're losing the game, you know? I've never heard of that in my life."

Grealish was pleased with Everton's performance but expressed frustration that it took until the second half for the Toffees to click into gear.

"Coming here it was hostile and a fast start," he said. "I don't think we played well at all in the first half. We came in at half-time and had a chat between ourselves and the manager.

"I think we bossed the game second half but it's frustrating because you'd say if we played and pressed like that from the start, it would have been a different game. In the end, we couldn't get that last goal."

For the latest breaking stories and headlines, sign up to our Daily Express LFC newsletter.