Phil Jagielka has stood by his comments regarding referee Martin Atkinson.

The Everton captain indicated that Atkinson was 'a little bit arrogant' in the wake of the Capital One Cup semi-final loss to Manchester City last month when the match official allowed play to go on when Raheem Sterling cut the ball back from the byline.

The play resulted in a goal to City and when Jagielka complained, Atkinson replied sarcastically by saying Everton's 'defending was brilliant'.

Ahead of this weekend's FA Cup fifth round clash with Bournemouth, in which said referee will be officiating, Jagielka has maintained his stance on the 44-year-old Yorkshireman despite the fact he will again be in charge of the Toffees.

"There is nothing much we can do, is there?" Jagielka told the Liverpool Echo.

"We've had him before and we'll have him again.

"I stick by the things I said, especially in a semi-final game, but we'll get on with it, shake hands and deal with the day.

"He's been a good ref over the years but I said what I felt after the game and, to be honest, I did well to probably hold most of my emotions back.

"Everyone makes bad decisions but you have got to look at the context of the game.

"You have got to look at scorelines and you have got to adapt your mannerisms throughout the game.

"If someone is going to shout and bawl at you, by all means don't speak to them, but in the big games when things are on the line you have got to show the respect both ways.

"If he thinks I've over-stepped the line then pull me to the side and say 'That's it', that is fair enough.

"But it's difficult when you go out there and within two or three minutes of the game you're at that stage already, where you've not said or done anything, and some officials are like that.

"Whether you've got their back up from previous games, I don't know, but it is a difficult one."