'Gone to ground too easily' — Ex-referee's verdict on penalty call in Leeds United's draw at Tottenham Hotspur — Yorkshire Post 12/5/26
By Tom Coates
A former Premier League referee’s view on a penalty call in
Leeds United's draw at Tottenham Hotspur
Jarred Gillett was right to deny Tottenham Hotspur a penalty
in the dying embers of their 1-1 draw with Leeds United, according to
ex-Premier League referee Keith Hackett.
The game was a dead rubber for Leeds, who had seen their
safety secured by West Ham United’s defeat to Arsenal a day earlier. However,
it was huge for Tottenham with relegation from the top flight still a
possibility for the North London club.
Mathys Tel fired Spurs ahead last night (May 11) but saw his
stunning effort cancelled out by Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s penalty.
Ex-referee’s verdict on penalty controversy
The home side felt they should have been given a penalty in
stoppage time, when James Maddison went down in the box under close attention
from Lukas Nmecha.
Spurs players protested but Gillett decided against pointing
to the spot, a decision that was quickly backed up by VAR (video assistant
referee).
Hackett, who officiated in the Premier League between 1992
and 1994, told Football Insider: “Looking closely at replays, the defender has
played the ball. The attacker not in possession has gone to ground too easily.
Match officials got this one right.”
It was a night of controversy in the capital and there was a
lengthy stoppage before Leeds’ penalty was finally awarded.
Tel, the scorer of Tottenham’s opener, caught Leeds captain
Ethan Ampadu in the head while executing an acrobatic clearance inside his own
box. Gillett was sent to the monitor for a closer look and eventually decided
to award a spot-kick.
Roberto De Zerbi reflects
Post-match, Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi claimed officials
were “not calm” in their handling of the match.
He said: "I think they were not calm today, maybe they
suffered the pressure of yesterday's Arsenal game. For sure we suffered the
pressure today. We didn't play with passion with the ball, too frenetic but
also the referee was not calm today.
"I can't understand the polemic about yesterday's VAR
because it was 200 per cent a foul, not 100 per cent, 200 per cent."
