Premier League immediate rule change verdict arrives after Liverpool vs Everton outrage

Former Premier League referee Dermott Gallagher believes that a stop-clock would have resolved the added-time controversy during the Liverpool and Everton derby. The Toffees suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to their Merseyside rivals at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.

Liverpool took control in the first half with goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike. Idrissa Gueye managed to score for Everton, but they were ultimately defeated by time. Only three minutes of stoppage time were played at the end of the second half, leaving many Everton supporters - including David Moyes and Jack Grealish - perplexed.

Sky Sports pundit Jay Boothroyd was also left scratching his head, while ex-referee Gallagher proposed a solution that has previously been brought up elsewhere.

Boothroyd questioned: "When do we ever see three minutes in this day and age now? We never see three minutes."

Gallagher responded: "Normally you have got the VAR feeding back, 'This has taken X amount of time', substitutes or a VAR review and things like that. It's all added up and fed to the fourth official, fed to the referee because they are all in communication, so it should be better than ever."

Boothroyd then further queried: "Because there were so many subs and incidents in the game, the ball is out of play, would you think there should be more than three minutes?"

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Following Gallagher's admission of uncertainty, the former Premier League striker accused him of being non-committal. However, the ex-official fired back: "I am not sitting on the fence, Jay.

"How would I know? I would have to clock everything! This goes back into my thing, why don't we play 35 minutes each way, stop the clock like they do in other sports?"

Gallagher's proposal comes after Everton star Grealish expressed his frustration at the lack of added time.

Speaking to TNT Sports after the defeat at Anfield, the Manchester City loanee said: "We couldn't get the last goal and it was frustrating in the second half.

"They were trying to slow the game down at times. I've never seen a player in my whole life get booked for taking a quick free-kick. I don't know where that rule has come in. Even the stoppage time, three minutes and one minute - I've never seen that in the Premier League in the last two or three years."

Moyes also added: "Three minutes was very strange. Every quick free-kick had to be stopped and brought back for the whistle and then we get a booking for it. I find it quite unbelievable."