Tottenham Hotspur's fight for Premier League survival will go down to the final day after they failed to secure victory against Chelsea, leaving them anxious ahead of their last match against Everton. A win at Stamford Bridge would have guaranteed their top-flight status, and a draw would have likely sufficed given their superior goal difference over West Ham United. However, a 2-1 defeat to their London rivals means Roberto De Zerbi's side must now face Everton with West Ham simultaneously taking on Leeds United.
The outcome might have been different had a late penalty appeal been granted by referee Stuart Attwell. In the 85th minute, with the score at 2-1 after Richarlison had pulled one back for Tottenham, Attwell blew his whistle and brandished a yellow card to Chelsea's Marc Cucurella. The defender appeared to wrestle Micky van de Ven to the ground during a corner kick, prompting several Tottenham players to question why a penalty was not awarded given the caution.
However, according to IFAB Law 12, which governs fouls and misconduct, direct and indirect free kicks—including penalty kicks—can only be awarded for offences committed when the ball is in play. Since the corner had not yet been taken, the incident occurred while the ball was out of play, thus a penalty could not be awarded. The video assistant referee, John Brooks, quickly confirmed this interpretation, leaving West Ham's survival hopes intact.
