Ashley Williams plays down starting Everton brawl during Lyon defeat as 'it's what happens in football'

The defender charged into Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes to trigger a mass brawl that spilled into one of the Goodison Park stands

Ashley Williams and Everton could both be sanctioned by Uefa after a melee instigated by the Welshman saw a fan holding a child appear to aim a punch at a Lyon player.

Toffees skipper Williams' shove on OL goalkeeper Anthony Lopes after the hour mark sparked heated confrontations between several Everton and Lyon players in front of the Howard Kendall Gwladys Street End.

As they moved to the advertising hoardings, a supporter holding a child in one arm appeared to push Lopes in the head and seemed to aim a punch in the direction of the keeper.

Meanwhile an incensed Williams seemed to raise his hand to Lucas Tousart's face but only received a yellow card, along with Lyon striker Bertrand Traore, for the incident.

Williams would later go on to score, cancelling out Nabil Fekir's penalty, but Traore's 75th-minute winner earned Lyon a 2-1 success.

"It's what happens, it's football. It is what it is," Williams told BT Sport 2 of the incident.

"It's high emotions. We want to win the game, they want to win the game and stuff happens. That was just one of those times."

Everton and Lyon could face further action after their players clashed on Thursday night (Getty)

Ex-Premier League referee Graham Poll expects further repercussions for both the centre-back and the club.

Writing for the Daily Mail, he said: "Ashley Williams and Everton will surely face further sanction from Uefa once video evidence is studied.

"Williams totally lost the plot.

"There were numerous players from both teams involved in the melee behind the Lyon goal and even a fan from the Everton section at the Gwladys Street End became involved - first pushing then appearing to aim a punch at a Lyon player.

"The fact that a couple of Everton backroom staff had to enter the field to calm Williams down showed how out of control the captain was and, while their intervention helped, they should not enter the field of play.

"The Uefa delegate and referee's observer will have met with the official after the game and discussed their findings before submitting individual reports. Unless the referee ill-advisedly says he saw everything, sanctions really must follow."

Williams triggered the skirmish by barging into Lyon goalkeeper Lopes (Getty)

The loss to Lyon left Everton with just one point from their three Europa League ties this year and heaped further pressure on Koeman.

The Toffees boss claimed his players' hot heads were caused by referee Bas Nijhuis's officiating.

"I think the irritation grows in the game for our players and in my opinion that was the problem by the referee," Koeman argued.

"The referee was Dutch but he didn't do anything against the theatre of some of the Lyon players. Fekir in the first half dived 10 times.

"I understand with my players, that comes out of frustration. I don't know what happened but I can understand it."

Williams reacted furiously when being confronted by Lyon players (Getty)

Lyon boss Bruno Genesio had no complaints about how the fracas was handled.

"I think everyone did their job in that situation," he said. "We could then get on with the game and thinking about football, which was the main thing."

Koeman made five changes to his starting line-up, leaving out a number of experienced players, and it was youngster Mason Holgate who naively slid in on Marcal to concede a penalty.

Ronald Koeman is under increasing pressure at Everton (Getty)

For the remainder of the first half, Koeman accepted his players looked bereft of confidence.

"(It was) really stupid," he said of Holgate giving away the spot-kick.

"I think the performance was under the level in the first half, a lot of mistakes, a lot of doubts, players without any confidence."

PA