Roberto De Zerbi has suggested that the officiating during Tottenham’s 1-1 draw with Leeds may have been affected by the controversy surrounding Arsenal’s win over West Ham the previous day. The Spurs manager was booked by referee Jarred Gillett for leaving his technical area and felt the official lacked control of the game.
In his post-match press conference, De Zerbi said: “The first minute until the end of the game the referee went to me, ‘if you go out, yellow card,’ and I think they were not calm today. Maybe they suffered the pressure of yesterday the West Ham-Arsenal game and VAR.”
Spurs were denied a stoppage-time penalty after James Maddison went down under a challenge from Lukas Nmecha. VAR reviewed the incident and ruled that Nmecha had touched the ball. De Zerbi declined to comment on the decision, saying: “No, I don’t want to come inside the polemic. I didn’t see.”
The draw means Tottenham missed the chance to move four points clear of the relegation zone. De Zerbi admitted his side also felt the pressure, describing their play as “frenetic” and “rushed”.
