Niasse is the first Premier League player charged with ‘play-acting’

Everton were fighting against losing Oumar Niasse to a ban for diving last night after he became the first Premier League player charged under new rules to eliminate playacting from the game.

The club confirmed they were contesting a charge issued by the Football Association after an expert panel unanimously deemed Niasse to have committed a “successful deception of a match official” to win a penalty in the fifth minute of their 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace on Saturday.

If found guilty by an independent regulatory commission, the 27-year-old will serve a two-match ban and miss Everton’s trip to Southampton on Sunday and home game against West Ham three days later.

Palace defender Scott Dann, who had been penalised for leaning into Niasse as the striker was running in the box, accused him after Saturday’s match of “conning” referee Anthony Taylor and his assistants.

“He probably knows he has conned them,” Dann said. “It definitely wasn’t a pen. It is a poor decision, I was shocked the referee gave it. He was adamant it was a penalty and after, at half-time, he probably knew it was a wrong call.”

Niasse denied diving and said he would be “shocked” to be charged.

“The contact was on my upper body and when I heard the contact I was in the box so that is it, that is all I have to do, go on the floor,” he added. “I think it was because I was running so quick. I went down because of the contact.

“The referee can give the penalty or if he didn’t give it also, I will understand. If you watch the video you can understand there is contact.”

Niasse is the third Premier League player to have faced trial by video after being accused of diving to win a penalty. Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva and Watford’s Richarlison both escaped being charged last month after separate threestrong panels that examined incidents involving them did not deem – unanimously at least – them to have deceived the referee.

The only two players to have been found guilty of the offence and banned are Carlisle United’s Shaun Miller over the award of a penalty and Bristol City’s Bailey Wright over the sending-off of Fulham’s Aboubakar Kamara.