adminRoberto De Zerbi has suggested that the match officials in Tottenham Hotspur’s draw with Leeds United were feeling the strain, following the controversial VAR decision that overshadowed Arsenal’s win over West Ham.
West Ham were denied a late equalizer at the London Stadium on Sunday when a goal by Pablo was ruled out after he was judged to have fouled David Raya in the buildup.
Referee Chris Kavanagh originally awarded the goal, but VAR Darren England and assistant Akil Howson intervened. After reviewing five minutes and 17 replays, the officials at Stockley Park sent Kavanagh to the pitchside monitor, where he eventually overturned the goal and gave Arsenal a free-kick.
Though a different officiating team took charge of Spurs’ match against Daniel Farke’s Leeds, De Zerbi claimed he could sense they were under pressure.
The game saw numerous stoppages, including a disputed offside call. During 13 minutes of added time, the Italian was booked for leaving his technical area after a heavy challenge on James Maddison—who was making his first appearance since rupturing his ACL in a pre-season friendly back in August.
Speaking after the match, De Zerbi accused the officials of being unusually agitated. “From the first minute until the end, the referee said to me, ‘If you go out, yellow card,’ and I think they were not calm today,” he told reporters.
“Maybe they were affected by the pressure from yesterday’s West Ham-Arsenal game and VAR. For sure, we felt the pressure today from the speed of the ball and the state of the pitch, and we didn’t play with patience.”
He added: “It was frantic, we were rushed, but the referee was also not calm.” De Zerbi then weighed in on Sunday’s controversy in east London, expressing confusion over the uproar and insisting that Pablo had clearly impeded Raya. “I don’t understand the criticism of yesterday’s VAR—it was a foul, 200 percent, not 100 percent, if you want to talk about football.”
Tottenham were also denied a penalty when Maddison went down in the Leeds box shortly after De Zerbi’s booking. When asked about it, the Italian said: “No, no, no—I don’t want to get into that controversy. I didn’t see it and I haven’t watched it again. Ask me a question about football if you want.”
On Maddison’s return, De Zerbi said: “Great news for us. He’s a different player in terms of quality and character, and I hope he will be crucial. Yesterday I spoke with him about his fitness and how many minutes he could play. He played more than he said. We’re happy for him, but I think we’re on the right track.”
Looking ahead, he added: “It will be tough until the last minute against Everton. But after the Sunderland game, it was hard to imagine that with two games left we’d be two points behind West Ham.
I remember that Sunderland match was my first game, and we can’t forget where we were just 15 days ago. We also can’t forget that in four games we took eight points, and that Leeds’ last Premier League defeat was at home on March 1.
“West Ham still have to play Leeds at home. I think Leeds will play with the same spirit and quality as today because they’re having a great season.”
With two matches remaining, Tottenham sit two points adrift of West Ham in the relegation zone. Spurs still face Chelsea and Everton, while West Ham are set to take on Newcastle United and Leeds.
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