Jamie Carragher lambasted Tottenham star Mathys Tel for his 'crazy' overhead kick that saw him concede a penalty in their draw against Leeds. The Frenchman was on course to be the hero after he put Spurs 1-0 up with a superb curling effort early in the second half.
A victory would have taken Roberto De Zerbi's side four points clear of West Ham with two games to go, but disaster struck when Tel then attempted to clear a ball inside Tottenham's box with an overhead kick and he instead struck Ethan Ampadu in the head with his boot. Referee Jarred Gillett initially didn't penalise Tel, but following a VAR review, he awarded a penalty and Dominic Calvert-Lewin tucked home the spot kick.
Tel had earlier played a dangerous ball across his own box in a chaotic display, and Carragher was left in disbelief by his costly mistake. 'It's just a crazy decision from Tel,' he said on Monday Night Football. 'What you think sometimes is we've been there sometimes as players where you don't see the opposition player coming in. But he's about to make his decision and he sees him, he looks. So he's made his decision but as soon as he knows there's someone there, it has to change. He still has time, he's got to change his mind. I thought he hadn't seen him initially, but he has. It's a really, really poor decision. We're talking about a young attacking player, making two ridiculous decisions in this game.'
De Zerbi, however, refused to criticise his own player after the match and instead leapt to Tel's defence. When asked what he would say to the forward after the error, he replied: 'Nothing. He's young, he's a talent, I will kiss him and I will hug him and stop because he doesn't need too many words. He was sorry for the... not mistake, because it's not a mistake, but it can happen for a young player to make that mistake in that situation.'
The game ultimately ended 1-1 following a chaotic finale that included Antonin Kinsky making a stunning save from Sean Longstaff, before Spurs were denied a penalty when James Maddison thought he had been fouled by Lukas Nmecha. Carragher felt that although the result may be frustrating for De Zerbi right now, a draw could be crucial to his side's survival hopes. 'It was a real opportunity with what happened with West Ham to almost put the season to bed, but I felt it would be a tough game,' he added. 'Leeds are playing really well at the moment, and I think that point will feel a lot better in the morning. You think about that save from Kinsky, that's one of the saves of the season. It could've been a lot worse. The two saves he made have made sure his team have got potentially a vital point.'
Tottenham are back in action next Tuesday when they travel to Chelsea, while West Ham face Newcastle at St James' Park on Sunday.
