Everton's Anthony Gordon Is Building ‘Reputation’ For Diving, Says Former Liverpool Midfielder Danny Murphy

Everton forward Anthony Gordon is building a reputation in the game for "diving too much", according to former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy.

It was reported on Monday that Everton are demanding a full explanation from the organisation responsible for refereeing standards in the Premier League as to why they were denied a penalty in Sunday's Merseyside derby.

In the 53rd minute at Anfield, Liverpool centre-back Joel Matip appeared to shove Gordon in the back inside the penalty area but referee Stuart Attwell decided against giving a spot-kick and instead waved away protests.

After the full-time whistle, Everton manager Frank Lampard was clearly frustrated by the call.

“It is a penalty for me,” said Lampard. “You don’t get them here. If that was Mo Salah at the other end he gets a penalty. I’m not trying to create conflict; it’s just the reality of football. I have played in teams in the top half of the league – you get them.

"That was a penalty for sure. It’s a clear foul.”

During the clash at Anfield, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher praised Gordon but warned the 21-year-old forward that he may be developing an unwanted reputation for 'diving'.

"Anthony Gordon has been a revelation since Frank Lampard came in," he told Martin Tyler. "He just jumps over Naby Keita's outstretched leg.

"There's been a tendency of this from Anthony Gordon, in the few games we've seen him. He's frustrated, he can't believe it... but that's crept into his game. He's somebody we've got to keep an eye on now.

"I don't think it was a penalty, the referee was in a great position."

Carragher's former Liverpool teammate Danny Murphy has since agreed with those comments during a recent appearance on talkSPORT, where he lauded Gordon's ability but again, criticised his 'diving'.

“People get reputations and he’s diving too much," Murphy said on talkSPORT.

“He’s a great player by the way. I really like him, Anthony Gordon, he’s a super talent, but I’ve watched Everton so much this season and he does dive a lot – and this is within the same game.

“Because he’s got that lovely way about him, he’s got great balance, he can go both ways and he’s got a low centre of gravity, he does get fouled a lot.

“We’ve talked about this with Jack Grealish and they do go over too easily, but the argument is why shouldn’t they? Because if they don’t, you don’t get the penalties or the free-kicks. You can’t win.

“But, would he have got that penalty if he hadn’t have gone down in the first-half? Maybe yes.

“The fact is, it was a pen,” Murphy added. “Again we talk about referees being able to take each incident in isolation, but that’s just not the way the world works.”

Ally McCoist followed Murphy by saying it was a "stonewall" penalty.

“Absolutely no doubt, I can’t believe we’re having this conversation,” the Rangers legend said on talkSPORT. “It’s a penalty, it’s 100 per cent a penalty, they [Everton] should have been given the penalty.

“After the game, maybe he was influenced by Gordon diving in the first half, which he did do, but I also think there was contact there by the way.

“I thought the penalty decision was shocking, stonewall penalty. But I don’t think he did himself any favours by diving.”