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

PREMIER LEAGUE EXPLAIN TOTTENHAM VS LEEDS UNITED DECISION AFTER VAR REVIEW

Tottenham were denied a late penalty against Leeds United by VAR on Monday night as the Whites salvaged a 1-1 draw

Tottenham had a late shout for a penalty against Leeds United turned down(Image: Alex Pantling, Getty Images)

The Premier League has clarified why Tottenham were denied a penalty in the dying moments of their match against Leeds United. Daniel Farke's side claimed a 1-1 draw in Monday evening's fixture at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Late drama unfolded when James Maddison hit the deck following a challenge from Lukas Nmecha during stoppage time. Referee Jarred Gillett dismissed the appeals, though VAR conducted a review of the incident.

The on-field decision stood, with the Premier League explaining via their Match Centre X account: "The referee's call of no penalty to Tottenham Hotspur was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed that Nmecha played the ball."

During the VAR check, Sky Sports co-commentator Alan Smith observed the Leeds player's contact with the ball.

"VAR will certainly get involved here!" he remarked. "He certainly catches Maddison. Does he get a touch on the ball? He might get the slightest - which could save him!"

Following a cautious opening 45 minutes, Tottenham appeared to be in control when Mathys Tel broke the deadlock early in the second half, beating Karl Darlow. However, Tel then became central to Leeds' leveller.

The Spurs player attempted to clear in his own box but instead caught Ethan Ampadu. A VAR check resulted in a spot-kick for Leeds, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin converting emphatically past Antonin Kinsky.

When announcing the decision, referee Gillett said: "After review, Tottenham No.11 commits a foul on the Leeds attacker. The final decision is a penalty kick."

Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored Leeds' equaliser against Tottenham.(Image: Justin Setterfield, Getty Images)

A whopping 13 minutes of added time handed both sides the opportunity to chase a vital victory. Spurs owed much to Kinsky, whose sharp reaction save denied Sean Longstaff, before Tottenham found themselves at the centre of a penalty appeal deep into stoppage time.

Maddison's appearance marked his first outing since recovering from a lengthy knee injury, and the midfielder could prove instrumental in the club's remaining two fixtures of the campaign.

Leeds are back in Premier League action on Sunday afternoon (3pm) when they host Brighton at Elland Road. They then finish their season with an away trip against West Ham, a game which could be crucial in deciding the race for survival.

Spurs return to action in just over a week's time when they head to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea. They will then round off their season with a home fixture against Everton on Sunday, 24 May (4pm kick-off).

- Amie Wilson

UEFA DELETE SOCIAL MEDIA POST 'TROLLING' TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

UEFA have acted quickly after they unintentionally rubbed salt into the wounds of Tottenham Hotspur fans.

The official Europa League account on X posted a picture of Tottenham star James Maddison winking and giving a thumbs up to the camera.

The official Europa League account came under fire for this post of MaddisonCredit: @EuropaLeague - X

But it seemed those behind the account were unaware Maddison was set for a prolonged period on the sidelines after he sustained a knee injury in the first leg of Tottenham's Europa League semi-final tie against Bodo/Glimt.

Maddison bagged the second goal in Tottenham's 3-1 victory over the Norwegian outfit before he was taken off injured in the 65th minute.

Football broadcaster and host of talkSPORT's Trans Europe Express Danny Kelly took note of the initial post and wrote: "W****** @UEFA trolling Spurs!"

Kelly was not the only one who vented their frustrations on social media as other football fans felt the post was in poor taste.

One said: "Is this legit? Surely an organising body shouldn't be flaunting the disappointment of one of the participant team's injured players? @EuropaLeague needs to apologise."

Another posted: "No dog in this fight, but what a disgusting tweet. I don't particularly like James Maddison, but seriously, the lad is out for the season and this is what come from an official @UEFA account? Disgusting."

However, someone at UEFA evidently realised the error of their ways as the post was eventually taken down.

Although Tottenham are yet to confirm the severity of Maddison's injury, talkSPORT understands the midfielder is not expected to play again this season.

Maddison and Dominic Solanke were left out of the Tottenham side that drew 1-1 with West Ham on Sunday and manager Ange Postecoglou divulged the former was 'more of a concern'.

"We're pretty hopeful with Dom that it will be OK, he's improving every day but it made no sense to bring him on today," Postecoglou said post-match.

Star midfielder Maddison went down in the second half against Bodo/GlimtCredit: Gett

"Maddison's a bit more of a concern until we get some more information but he's the one that's more of a concern."

The 28-year-old has been a constant presence in Postecoglou's side this season having made 45 appearances across all competitions.

He also boasts 22 attacking contributions throughout the campaign having registered 12 goals and ten assists.

Maddison's tally of 22 contributions makes him Tottenham's equal-most productive player alongside Dominic Solanke and skipper Heung-min Son.

But he won't get a chance to add to that figure due to the knee injury.

The grim news of Maddison's injury comes as Postecoglou's side stand 90 minutes away from a berth in the Europa League final.

Postecoglou is two games away from ending Spurs' 16-year trophy droughtCredit: Getty

Tottenham travel to Norway on Thursday for the second leg of their semi-final with a two-goal lead.

Progression to the Europa League final would mark the third final Tottenham have made since the 2018/19 campaign.

The north London side reached the final of the Champions League that season but fell short at the last hurdle against Liverpool.

Tottenham then made the final of the Carabao Cup in 2021, only to lose to Manchester City.

But should all go to plan on Thursday evening, Tottenham will have another chance to win their first piece of silverware since 2008.

- Alex Conrad

JAMES MADDISON EXPLAINS CELEBRATION AS ROY KEANE LEFT WITH EGG ON FACE AFTER MAN UTD GOAL

James Maddison celebrates his winner (Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

James Maddison scored the winning goal as Tottenham beat Manchester United 1-0 and the Spurs star sent a message to Red Devils legend Roy Keane with his celebration

James Maddison has suggested his celebration was a response to Roy Keane after he scored the winning goal in Tottenham's 1-0 victory over Manchester United.

The win was Tottenham's first Premier League victory at home since November, while it is only the second time they have won back-to-back games so far this season. And it was Maddison's first-half strike which earned Spurs the win, with the 28-year-old firing home a rebound on his first start since recovering from a calf injury.

However, United legend Keane was not expecting Maddison to make much of an impact on his return. "We saw James Maddison at Tamworth, he was taken off! Tamworth are non-league," on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet.

"People say, 'Maddison's the man', but when is he going to step up to the plate? He got relegated with Leicester and [looks like] with Spurs. Maddison isn't bad but if you think he's going to come back and get Spurs top six, you're in cuckoo land.

"He's a talented player, but if you're a player in the Spurs dressing room and he's back in the squad, you wouldn't be looking and going, 'James is back today – we're going to be fine!'."

Maddison celebrated his goal with his trademark dart-throwing motion, before putting his finger to his lips in a shushing gesture. Although Maddison did not specifically say the celebration was aimed at Keane, he did admit it was a response to "outside noise

He told Sky Sports: "It's always difficult being out injured. You miss one game or 10, you are always champing at the bit to get back. I went into the game today knowing I can be the difference.

"I'm really proud of the boys, obviously it has been an up and down season, we are not where we want to be in the league table. I'm really happy for the lads and for the fans, we're sending them home happy. I've always been a goalscoring midfielder.

"That's why Spurs brought me to the club. I'm there to be that creative outlet and score goals. There was a little bit of outside noise this week. People will have their opinions. Nobody is more critical of me than myself.

"The gaffer prefers when we are in our own bubble but it's difficult with social media, you see this stuff. To be fair to the boys who have been fit all season, we don't want to make excuses, but the last few months have been really difficult.

"The lads who have relentlessly been going every three days, it's nice to be an injured player coming back to take the pressure off them. It's about us being present now and leading like they did during the bad run."

- Matthew Cooper

JAMES MADDISON HITS BACK AFTER APPEARING AT WORLD DARTS CHAMPIONSHIP HOURS AFTER SPURS DRAW

James Maddison was spotted at the World Darts Championship (Picture: Getty)

James Maddison has clapped back at a fan who criticised him for attending the World Darts Championship just hours after Tottenham’s frustrating draw with Wolves.

Maddison was a second-half substitute in north London on Sunday as Jorgen Strand Larsen’s late equaliser saw Wolves hold Spurs to a 2-2 draw.

The result stretches Tottenham’s winless run to three games and piles further pressure on Ange Postecoglou who are bereft of confidence and fit players.

Spurs fans booed their team off at full-time, and Maddison caught the ire of some again later that evening when he and teammate Brennan Johnson were spotted at Ally Pally watching the darts.

The English midfielder is known for his love of the sport, often performing a darts-themed celebration when he scores, but some fans were clearly not pleased at seeing their players out and smiling after a disappointing result.

Replying under a post of the England midfielder on the PDC’s Instagram account, one fan wrote: ‘U taking the p***? The form were(sic) in and U go to the darts?? Unacceptable.’

But Maddison was not a fan of the criticism and hit back at the fan, responding: ‘Shut up u wally’, along with a laughing emoji.

James Maddison performing his trademark Darts celebration (Picture: Getty)

After a hectic Christmas period, Maddison and his Spurs teammates are set to be given a few days off to reset ahead of more key fixtures.

‘This is the first week where we don’t have a midweek game, so I think the whole group probably needs a couple of days just to get away from everything and recover,’ Postecoglou confirmed after Sunday’s draw.

‘It’ll do them good to have a couple of days to themselves with their families and give them a chance to recover mentally as much as physically.

Tottenham host Newcastle first up in the New Year before their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Liverpool.

Spurs continue to struggle with plenty of injuries as the likes of Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Gugliemo Vicario, Ben Davies and Richarlison all missed the clash with Wolves.

And their issues worsened on Sunday when Destiny Udogie appeared to pick up a hamstring injury and was forced out of the game early in the second half.

‘Yeah, I think it was a hamstring,’ said the manager. ‘Again like I said, we’ve been relying on a core group of players because we just haven’t had the ability to rotate so at some point it was going to catch up with us. Unfortunately it caught up with Destiny.’

- Ben Fleming

VAR AUDIO RELEASED FOR BRUNO FERNANDES RED CARD VS. TOTTENHAM

 PGMOL chief Howard Webb has admitted that VAR made an error by failing to immediately overturn the red card issued to Bruno Fernandes during Manchester United’s recent 3-0 loss to Tottenham in the Premier League. The United captain was shown a straight red by referee Chris Kavanagh at Old Trafford for a challenge on James Maddison on September 29. United were trailing by just one goal at the time and pushing for an equaliser.

In a bid to win back possession near the centre circle, the 30-year-old lunged at Maddison but slipped, catching the Tottenham player's shin and sending him to the ground in a theatrical fashion. With assistance from VAR, the referee wasted no time in showing Fernandes a red card. It turned out to be a decisive moment, as the Red Devils' efforts to stage a comeback were upended.

VAR audio from the incident has now been released. Although review panels have since criticised the decision - with the midfielder's suspension being overturned following the club's appeal to the FA despite the Premier League initially releasing a statement to back the referee's decision - conversations between the match officials reveal how they reached their incorrect conclusion.

The Audio in Question

The assistant referee acted at once to call the challenge a '100% red card'

On the latest episode of Match Officials Mic'd Up, a series of controversial incidents were brought back to the fore, with audio for each case being revealed for the first time. During Man United's match against Tottenham, footage released shows Kavanagh's assistant referee telling him: "That's awful for me, that's 100% a red card."

After VAR reviewed the decision to brandish a red card, they proved surplus to requirements in stepping in and overturning the on-field judgement. Peter Bankes can be heard saying:

"It's not studs. It's shin height. It's a deliberate act and made no attempt to play the ball. The angle doesn't show it's with studs. There is a slip but I think ref's call."

Howard Webb Gives Verdict

PGMOL chief says the decision not to overturn was a mistake.

A former referee of 12 years and over 300 Premier League games, Webb was adamant that VAR should have gone against Kavanagh's initial call, stating: "It was [a mistake]. We hear on the audio that the assistant said it was a red card offence and the referee takes that advice.

"The contact is high, but Fernandes slips first. It's not an attempt on the ball, but from the assistants' view, it looks like studs go in - but it's a slight error. There's no driving the foot into the opponent, it's more of a tripping action. VAR should have sent the referee to the screen."

The controversy surrounding the incident eventually allowed Fernandes to win his appeal, avoiding suspension and enabling him to play in United's next two matches - against Porto in the Europa League and Aston Villa in the Premier League. However, the Portuguese international wasn't able to manage to stay out of trouble for long. In the midweek fixture, he was once again shown a red card, resulting in an upcoming suspension for European competition.

- Robin Mumford

MANCHESTER UNITED CAPTAIN BRUNO FERNANDES DISPUTES PIVOTAL RED CARD

Bruno Fernandes is shown a red card during Manchester United's loss to Tottenham. Getty Images

 Bruno Fernandes said he didn't deserve to be sent off for a dangerous challenge on James Maddison in Manchester United's 3-0 Premier League loss to Tottenham on Sunday.

The United captain was shown a straight red in the 42nd minute at Old Trafford.

"Nobody wants to be sent off, it's not a good feeling," said Fernandes, who took the unusual decision of stepping up for postmatch interviews following his dismissal. "I didn't go with the studs. It's never a red card. Even James Maddison when he gets up, he said it's not a red card."

Fernandes appeared to slip when attempting a tackle in Tottenham's half -- but then raised his foot and caught Maddison on the shin in a studs-up challenge.

Referee Christopher Kavanagh immediately brandished a red card.

"If this is a red card, we have to look at many other incidents," Fernandes said. "It is a foul. There is not much contact. If [the referee] wants to give me a yellow, I agree. I don't understand why VAR doesn't call him to the screen."

Fernandes became the fourth United captain to be sent off in a Premier League game at Old Trafford, joining Roy Keane, Nemanja Vidic and Wayne Rooney on that list.

"I want to say, I left my teammates one man down," Fernandes said. "I do appreciate everything they did on the pitch, obviously was tougher for them. We didn't start the game well when it was 11 vs. 11, then obviously the result is on their side and we get the situation with the red card and obviously I think they did ... very well.

"They tried, obviously we conceded another two goals, but it was difficult to cover all the spaces. But I think [there are] many good things that we can take away from this, [the] resilience of the team was always there, and I'm really proud of the team."

United trailed 1-0 at halftime after Brennan Johnson's goal in the third minute.

It got worse for United after the break, when Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke also scored for Spurs.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.

- ESPN News Services

TOP 25 ROUNDUP: PURDUE GETS PAST VOLS TO REACH MAUI FINAL

USA TODAY Sports 

Fletcher Loyer scored 27 points and Zach Edey added 23 points and 10 rebounds as No. 2 Purdue advanced to the Maui Invitational championship game with a 71-67 win over No. 7 Tennessee on Tuesday night in Honolulu.

Loyer and Edey combined for 50 of Purdue's 71 points, with Loyer, a sophomore, tying his career high. Trey Kaufman-Renn contributed eight points and eight rebounds for the Boilermakers (5-0).

Tennessee (4-1) was led by Dalton Knecht, who logged 16 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Jordan Gainey scored 15 points.

There were a total of 52 personal fouls called, 31 on the Volunteers. Jonas Aidoo and Tobe Awaka fouled out for the Volunteers and Edey played just 26 minutes while finishing with four fouls.

CHANCES CREATED | PREMIER LEAGUE | 2023/24

 

10 PLAYERS WHO COULD STRENGTHEN ARSENAL'S MIDFIELD

Declan Rice is the club’s top target but there are plenty of midfielders around Europe who could do a job for Mikel Arteta

By Ciaran McLoughlin for WhoScored

Declan Rice is Arsenal’s big target in the transfer window this summer. Edu and Mikel Arteta are waiting patiently for West Ham to play the last game of their season, against Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final, before trying to arrange a deal for the midfielder.

Arsenal will be without Granit Xhaka next season after his £13m move to Bayer Leverkusen, so they need to bolster their midfield with at least one player. If Rice joins the club, he could take the No 8 role occupied by Xhaka last season or play in his more familiar No 6 role further back. If he were to sit deeper, Arsenal would surely want to sign a more attack-minded midfielder as well. Here are 10 midfielders who should be on the club’s radar this summer.