Roberto De Zerbi raised eyebrows with his comments about the referee after Tottenham’s 1-1 draw with Leeds.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s penalty not only dealt Spurs a blow but also gave West Ham hope in the relegation fight.
The Hammers fell to a disappointing defeat to Arsenal on Sunday after a controversial VAR decision in added time.
The officials disallowed Callum Wilson’s late equaliser after Pablo Felipe committed a dubious foul on David Raya.
De Zerbi suggested “the pressure” of that moment might have carried over into Tottenham’s game against Leeds.
Oh wow 👀 How has Tottenham’s draw with Leeds made YOU feel about the relegation battle?!
This weirdly feels like a boost?
Roberto De Zerbi raises referee concern after Tottenham draw vs Leeds
Although there was nothing as dramatic as Wilson’s equaliser, VAR also made plenty of big decisions in Tottenham vs Leeds.
Calvert-Lewin would probably have won a penalty in the first half if not for an offside call that required lines to be drawn.
However, Leeds were awarded a penalty late in the game after Mathys Tel overhead-kicked Ethan Ampadu in the head.
Spurs then wanted a penalty in the final minutes when Lucas Nmecha tripped James Maddison after a slight touch on the ball.
The game was not played with the highest quality, but four yellow cards suggest there was more than enough intensity.
Nothing can change now – but what do YOU want to hear from the PGMO?! 😳
I want to know why Rice on Dinos was ignored! 😡
De Zerbi actually believes the referee contributed towards the “frenetic” match, as he was “not calm” from the first whistle.
The Italian manager theorised that they were feeling “the pressure” after the controversy in West Ham vs Arsenal.
De Zerbi explained: “The first minute until the end of the game, the referee went to me, ‘if you go out, yellow card,’ and I think they were not calm today.
“Maybe they suffered the pressure of yesterday, the West Ham-Arsenal game and VAR.
“For sure, we suffer the pressure today for the speed of the ball, for the order of the pitch, and we didn’t play with patience on the ball. Frenetic and we were rushed, but also the referee was not calm.”
Having referenced Wilson’s disallowed goal, De Zerbi backed the referee’s decision to call a foul against Pablo Felipe.
He continued: “I can’t understand the polemic about yesterday’s VAR because it was a foul, 200%, not 100%, if you want to talk about football.”
One could argue that De Zerbi has a biased view, as the decision benefited Tottenham, but many others have shared his opinion.
Former West Ham manager Alan Pardew also admitted that Wilson’s goal should have been disallowed for Pablo’s foul.
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