Abdoulaye Doucouré committed a “blatant” foul that should have been given as a penalty against Everton in their win at Nottingham Forest, according to Jamie Redknapp.

The Sky Sports pundit reacted with outrage after the final whistle of the 1-0 Toffees win on 2 December, following a second-half corner which saw the midfielder escape punishment for an apparent shirt-pull and kick on Ryan Yates, asking “what’s he doing?”.

Izzy Christiansen agreed that it should have been given and the Everton man was “very, very lucky” to get away without giving away a spot kick.

Redknapp said (7.47pm): “That’s Doucouré and he’s marking Yates. What’s he doing? His body-position’s all wrong, he’s not even looking at the ball.”

“He’s already in trouble there isn’t he?” said Christiansen and Redknapp agreed “massive trouble”.

He went on: “You know if he can wriggle away from you you’ve got a problem as that ball comes in… Two things happen. One, you have to keep an eye on the shirt-pull from Doucouré, but then he also tries to kick a lump out of him…

“Alarm bells are ringing, he’s grabbing his shirt, and then look, a kick as well. I think it’s unanimous in here.”

Kelly Cates relayed that the official position was there wasn’t enough for a review to be able to overturn the on-field decision, to which Christiansen responded that penalties have been given this season for the same or less.

Redknapp came back in: “He kicks him here. How can you not [see that]? It’s as blatant a foul as you’d wish to see and I don’t understand why VAR hasn’t. They’re so quick to get busy with handballs that they have no clue [about]… that is a foul. It’s so important that you get this right.”

Christiansen summed up that she was “baffled” that it was missed.

Got away with one

It was one where had it been at the other end most Evertonians would have been screaming for a penalty, but given the circumstances will be hugely relieved it was overlooked.

The Toffees get so many contentious calls go against them that when there is one that does fall in their favour many will no doubt feel they are owed it.

Sean Dyche’s men needed that luck to ensure Dwight McNeil’s beautiful strike high into the far corner of the net was enough to take the points, while Jordan Pickford’s late heroics at the back preserved the 1-0 scoreline.

A battling performance away from home was exactly what the manager would have wanted to start rebuilding after having 10 deducted and kept up the excellent form on the road recently.

The response to the turmoil over the international break may have come a week later than planned but was belatedly secured without star men Amadou Onana and Dominic Calvert-Lewin through injury.

The VAR debate shows no signs of abating but for the Toffees’ sake they have least found themselves on the right side of a key incident this time.