ROBERTO DE ZEBRI RAGES OVER 'NOT CALM' REFEREE AS TOTTENHAM BOSS QUESTIONS CRUTIAL VAR CALLS IN LEEDS DRAW

 

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Tottenham Hotspur missed a golden opportunity to pull away from the Premier League relegation zone after being held to a 1-1 draw by Leeds United. Following a game defined by spectacular goals and controversial VAR interventions, head coach Roberto De Zerbi suggested the officiating was influenced by the high-stakes nature of the survival battle.

Tel goes from hero to villain

Tottenham appeared set to move four points clear of 18th-placed West Ham when Mathys Tel opened the scoring with a sublime 20-yard curling effort shortly after half-time. However, the young Frenchman's afternoon soured when a reckless attempted bicycle kick inside his own area caught Ethan Ampadu, leading to a penalty after a VAR review. Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted the spot-kick to earn Leeds a point, while Spurs were ultimately indebted to goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky for a stunning late save that prevented a total collapse.

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De Zerbi questions officials

De Zerbi was clearly irked by the officiating, specifically regarding a late penalty shout for James Maddison that was ignored despite a VAR check. Regarding the referee's performance, the Italian told BBC Match of the Day: "The VAR in West Ham-Arsenal was a foul, it was clear. Today, I did not see honestly. I didn't watch the Maddison penalty, maybe yes, maybe no. I heard my assistant but I don't want to come inside a polemic. The referee was not calm today. Maybe he felt the pressure of yesterday? He is human and it can happen, but no problem. He was good on the pitch. We prepare the next two games."

Focus on survival performance

The result leaves Tottenham just two points above the drop zone, failing to fully capitalise on West Ham's recent controversial loss against Arsenal. Discussing the performance and the relegation fight, De Zerbi said: "I think we have to consider the result but we have to consider the performance. We played a good game, we are making points, in the last four games we made eight points. Congratulations to Leeds, they played a great game, they have to play the last game at West Ham and we've no doubt that they will play the same way."

- Adhe Makayasa