Tottenham Hotspur’s torrid season appears to be a combination of their own failings and what many fans see as consistently poor refereeing decisions going against them.
The north London club are yet to be awarded a penalty in the Premier League all season, and a series of controversial calls has left supporters feeling increasingly hard done by.
One major talking point was the Premier League’s own KMI panel admitting that Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey should have been dismissed for pushing Cristian Romero into goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky during the Lilywhites’ 1-0 defeat — a decision that could have changed the outcome entirely.
Eyebrows were also raised during Spurs’ slim victory at Molineux, when Wolves’ Andre was only shown a yellow card after appearing to go in with both feet on Yves Bissouma. However, former top-flight referee Dermot Gallagher defended Anthony Taylor’s decision, telling Sky Sports that Andre had slipped mid-challenge and lacked the force or intent required for a sending-off, meaning the tackle he set out to make was never fully carried out.
Understandably, these moments have fuelled growing discontent among the Spurs faithful, with many feeling officials have not given their side a fair deal at such a critical point in the season.
Adding to the wider sense of refereeing inconsistency, Everton were also denied what looked a clear penalty against West Ham, after Mateus Fernandes appeared to handle inside the box during the Hammers’ 2-1 victory.
