'Gone to ground too easily' - Ex-referee's verdict on penalty call in Leeds United's draw at Tottenham Hotspur
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."