The refereeing decisions from Leeds United’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham on Monday night are still dominating the conversation, with James Maddison making his feelings clear towards VAR.
Leeds were awarded a penalty after Mathys Tel caught Ethan Ampadu with a high boot, although referee Jarred Gillett only pointed to the spot after VAR advised him to review the incident.
Tottenham fans were left furious later in stoppage time when appeals for a penalty of their own were turned down following Lukas Nmecha’s challenge on James Maddison.
Jamie O’Hara has already blasted both the referee and VAR over the decision. Meanwhile, James Maddison claimed the touch on the ball, which was viewed as the key reason for Spurs not being awarded a penalty, actually came off the outside of his own right boot rather than Nmecha getting to it first.
James Maddison finds support from ex-West Ham star
Maddison and Tottenham felt that they were robbed of a win at home on Monday night, which could have more or less made their Premier League survival certain.
Ex-West Ham star Don Hutchison, whose former side benefited from the draw between Spurs and Leeds, has lent his support to the Tottenham star’s claim.
He stressed that he can’t be accused of bias due to his West Ham connections and insisted that Maddison is absolutely right in claiming that he touched the ball.
Hutchison insisted that Tottenham deserved to get a penalty and a chance to win the game on Monday night.
He took to X and wrote: “This is why I show no bias whatsoever. Maddison is the one who touches the ball to the side, not the defender.
“Pen all day long IMO.”
Leeds deserved a second penalty on Monday night
Destiny Udogie appeared to clearly foul Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but Tottenham escaped without conceding a penalty because the Leeds striker was judged to be narrowly offside in the build-up.
What frustrated many Leeds supporters was that VAR did not seem to apply the same “tolerance rule” that worked in Florian Wirtz’s favour earlier this season, when his goal against Fulham stood despite an incredibly tight offside decision.
The Premier League’s KMI panel backed that call at the time, but the same interpretation was not used in Calvert-Lewin’s situation.
Gillett also missed a foul on Ethan Ampadu during the game, with VAR eventually stepping in to award Leeds a penalty, a decision that should not have needed technology’s intervention.
