Tottenham were held to a 1-1 draw against Leeds United.
Tottenham have had a difficult 2025/26 campaign, but their season looked quite on the up in recent weeks when the Lilywhites started responding to what Roberto De Zerbi was trying to put in place since his appointment at N17.
This turn of form has seen Tottenham climbing out of that drop zone with a three-point gap between them and West Ham, with the latter now holding over 80% probability of a possible relegation.
But that two-game winning run came to a halt when Tottenham drew 1-1 against Leeds United earlier this week. And that shared point didn’t come without controversy.
James Maddison makes an immediate impact after return
James Maddison was making his first appearance donning that Spurs badge in over a year when he came on as a sub against Leeds late in the game. Him coming back saw the stadium erupt in claps and cheers as the former Leicester star came back after having spent the season recovering from an ACL injury.
And it took him no time to have the game in his cuff. Passing between the lines, having that sense of intent going into everything. And James also had a penalty appeal that was waved away late in the game after VAR ruled that Lucas Nmecha got a touch on the ball before Maddison went down in Leeds’ box.
And Maddison was quite frustrated with the decision; you could see it on his face as he was in disbelief that he didn’t get a spot kick for that challenge. And Maddison, being Maddison, posted his frustration online, claiming officials are “petrified” to make decisions.
Hackett backs fine after social media discontent
And PGMOL chief Keith Hackett, speaking with Football Insider, insists that James Maddison will face a potential FA fine or suspension after his post which was aimed at critiquing the referee. He spoke about how the post should be reviewed by the FA and that, in his view, Maddison should be charged for it. He said:
“This post will be reviewed by the FA Disciplinary Department, which will determine if it brings into question the integrity of the referee.
“If they decide that it does, he will be written to and asked for his observations, which then may result in a charge, and if found guilty, may result in a fine or suspension.
“In my opinion, it does question the match official’s integrity, and he should be charged, but watch this space.”
The draw leaves Tottenham still in a tricky position with two games of the ongoing 2025/26 season to go, and let’s be honest, all is not safe with West Ham still breathing down Spurs’ necks. Now Tottenham will travel to Chelsea on Tuesday before the Lilywhites host Everton on the final day.
And if FA end updeciding on a suspension for Maddison, it would be a massive blow for Tottenham.
Do you think that challenge late on Maddison was a penalty? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.