Both Frank Lampard and Everton chairman Bill Kenwright have received personal apologies from Head of Referees Mike Riley following this weekend's high-profile VAR blunder against Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola 's side restored their six-point gap atop the Premier League summit in controversial fashion at Goodison Park on Saturday as Phil Foden netted a late winner.
However, it was an even later incident which proved to be the game's biggest talking point.
Under no pressure, City's Rodri appeared to handle a misjudged bouncing ball in his own penalty area, which subsequently lead to a VAR inquest.
Despite looking like a sure-fire penalty, referee Paul Tierney decided not to award the spot-kick fort handball, while VAR Chris Kavanagh opted not to overturn the call after watching several replays.
An apoplectic Lampard branded the decision the "easiest" imaginable during an enraged post-match interview and even claimed his three-year-old daughter would have given a penalty.
Everton then took further action by lodging a formal complaint and demanding an apology - and one has duly arrived.
PGMOL Head of Referees Riley has since made personal phone calls to Kenwright and Lampard to apologise, Sky Sports report, following the controversial VAR decision not to award Everton the penalty.
Saturday's defeat left Everton perilously poised above the Premier League's drop zone, one point clear of Burnley, and the VAR error prompted Lampard to launch a scathing attack where he slammed the "incompetence" of officials.
“To think that Chris Kavanagh has not given that penalty that strikes him on the arm, midway, strikes him when his arm is not in a natural position… I’ve got a three-year-old daughter at home that could tell you that’s a penalty,” he raged to Sky Sports interviewer Geoff Shreeves.
“I’m not being funny Geoff, I’m not meaning to make light of it.
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"We’re in a position where we’re fighting at the bottom of the table and Manchester City are fighting to win leagues.
“Everything is crucial. So when you have the system to bring in a minute or two to have a view of the most easiest [sic] decision you’re going to get of a handball. Easy.
“There are so many that happen quickly, [when the] arm’s there, whatever. I don’t know what has to happen as a reflection of that. It’s clear.
“A mistake would be when you’ve got something wrong and you haven’t got time to think about it. They’ve got two minutes to digest a handball.”
According to The Athletic, Everton chief executive officer Denise Barrett-Baxendale subsequently submitted a formal complaint about the standard of officiating - not just in Saturday's fixture, but in a number of recent matches.
She reportedly wrote to both Richard Masters at the Premier League and chief football officer Tony Scholes demanding an apology be made to Lampard and his players.
On Monday afternoon, that apology duly arrived.
