Premier League release official statement on Newcastle United vs Tottenham penalty controversy.
Tottenham Hotspur snatched a dramatic last-gasp draw against Newcastle United on Tuesday evening thanks to Cristian Romero’s incredible acrobatic overhead kick.
After a miserable run of three straight defeats, the result at St James’ Park would have been a huge relief for Thomas Frank. Spurs were otherwise poor in the first half, devoid of any control, energy and ideas. Newcastle United dominated large parts of the game and looked set to claim all three points. But, Cristian Romero emerged as the unlikely hero, leading from the front as the skipper with two crucial goals to drag Tottenham level.
However, the game was marred with the VAR controversy. At 1-1, Newcastle United got their noses back in front again from the spot after Rodrigo Bentancur and Dan Burn tangled at the back post from a corner and referee Thomas Bramall was called to the monitor by the VAR. After checking the video footage, Bramall awarded a penalty, which Anthony Gordon expertly converted.
Premier League responds to Newcastle vs Tottenham penalty VAR controversy
Pointing to the spot after VAR review, Bramall adjudged that Bentancur wasn’t looking at the ball when holding Burn with two hands. Premier League clarified why the referee decided to point to the spot.
In a message sent via their Match Centre account on X (formerly Twitter), the Premier League posted:
“After review, Tottenham number 30 makes a holding offence at the back post and clearly does not look at the ball. My final decision is penalty kick.”
Bramall’s decision must have left Tottenham fans extremely frustrated as it was not a clear and obvious error. The players certainly were taken aback when the VAR recommended the 35-year-old to go for an on-field review, with Romero leading the protest.
Thomas Frank gives his verdict on penalty incident
Frank felt it was never a penalty, explaining that it was not a clear and obvious mistake. The Tottenham boss wants the referee calls on the pitch supported by the VAR, and there are plenty of incidents like the Bentancur and Burn that generally go unpunished.
Overall, though, Frank would have been satisfied with his team’s response to come back twice and pinch a point away from a tough place. It was a spirited comeback from Tottenham, led by their captain Romero, who claimed he drew inspiration from his compatriot Lionel Messi for the overhead bicycle kick. Now, Tottenham must aim to build on that result by beating Frank’s former team Brentford at home on Saturday.