Jamie O’Hara remains incensed after Tottenham were refused a contentious stoppage-time penalty in their Monday evening encounter with Leeds United. Mathys Tel had a rollercoaster night, netting a stunning goal before giving away a needless spot kick by attempting an overhead clearance inside his own penalty area.
Spurs pressed hard for a winning goal that would have put them four points clear of West Ham, but ultimately could not find one. They now find themselves just two points above the drop zone with only two matches remaining.
Relegation is still a genuine possibility, though Tottenham could have edged closer to safety had they been given a late penalty. James Maddison went to ground following a risky challenge from Lukas Nmecha, which initially appeared to be a straightforward foul. However, VAR footage revealed that Nmecha had made slight contact with the ball during the tackle, which was enough for the decision to be overturned. Since the touch came as part of the original challenge with no delay, officials ruled it a legal play — a conclusion most pundits accept, given that playing the ball nullifies a penalty claim.
O’Hara, however, is having none of it. Speaking on Sky Sports, the former Spurs midfielder argued that the ball barely moved and that the challenge should still have resulted in a penalty. He also took aim at the speed of the VAR review, contrasting it unfavourably with a separate incident involving West Ham that he felt received far more scrutiny.
While some Tottenham supporters share his frustration, the review was brief precisely because officials quickly confirmed ball contact, leaving nothing further to examine. Nmecha took a gamble with his challenge, but pulled it off — and Spurs were left to rue what might have been.
