Tottenham and manager Thomas Frank were left frustrated after being denied two penalty appeals in their match against West Ham on Saturday.
Former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee Keith Hackett told Football Insider that referee Jarred Gillett made the wrong call when Spurs were denied penalties in a single sequence.
Fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium were outraged after Callum Wilson’s late winner stood despite claims that goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario had been fouled on January 17. Tensions had already risen after Ollie Scarles’ handball went unpunished, with VAR ruling it was simply natural movement.
The controversy continued in the 85th minute when, following a cross from Conor Gallagher, Xavi Simons was brought down in the penalty area, but another brief VAR review dismissed the appeal. At that point, the score was 1-1, with goals from Crysencio Summerville and Cristian Romero. Nuno Espirito Santo later brought on Wilson, who scored a dramatic winner in stoppage time.
Spurs fans felt at least one of the incidents warranted a penalty, but their appeals were ignored.
Keith Hackett slams ‘shocking refereeing’ after Spurs denied two penalties vs West Ham
Hackett stated, “The push was poor officiating, and Scarles’ handball should have been given. Referees need to explain why they don’t award penalties. Handball decisions are subjective, and often referees don’t have the best angle. There should be consistency, which can be achieved by reviewing clips together and agreeing on calls across the game.”
