- Jarred Gillett denied Tottenham an injury time penalty against Leeds
Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has slammed Jarred Gillett after the Aussie referee denied a late penalty claim during his team’s 1-1 draw with Leeds United on Tuesday morning (AEDT).
Fighting for their Premier League survival, Lukas Nmecha appeared to clip Spurs midfielder James Maddison in the 103rd minute, and a spot-kick looked certain in north London.
Gillett instead waved play on – and a subsequent VAR check backed the Queenslander’s decision.
He also awarded a penalty to the away side in the 74th minute, which was converted by Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Speaking post-game, a fired-up De Zerbi argued officials might have been influenced by events 24 hours earlier when West Ham United had a late equaliser disallowed by VAR against ladder leaders Arsenal.
‘I think they (officials) were not calm, maybe they suffered the pressure of the Arsenal game,’ the coach said.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has questioned Jarred Gillett’s mentality after the Aussie referee denied a late penalty claim during his team’s 1-1 draw with Leeds United
Tottenham captain Micky van de Ven (pictured, right) was stunned the penalty wasn’t given by Gillett
‘For sure we suffered (from) the pressure. We didn’t play with passion with the ball, too frenetic, but also the referee (Gillett) was not calm.
‘It was 200 per cent a foul (on Maddison), not 100 per cent, 200 per cent.’
De Zerbi was elated to have Maddison back on his team sheet, as he made his first competitive appearance in 12 months.
‘Great news for us,’ he said of Maddison’s timely return from an ACL injury.
‘He is a different player in terms of his quality, and I hope he will be crucial for us.’
The hard-fought draw sees Spurs, just one spot above the drop zone in 17th place, move two points clear of fellow London club West Ham.
Tottenham take on Chelsea away and Everton at home in their last two games, while the Hammers travel to Newcastle before facing Leeds on home soil on the final day of the season.
Burnley and Wolves are already relegated and will play in next season’s Championship.
