Former Referee Chief Backs Officials Over Spurs’ Stoppage-Time Penalty Appeal Against Leeds
In the dying moments of the game, James Maddison attempted to take on Leeds defender Lukas Nmecha inside the box, but went to ground following a challenge, with Spurs players immediately surrounding the referee to demand a penalty. The official stood firm, and VAR upheld the decision after replays indicated Nmecha had got a touch on the ball.
Retired refereeing chief Keith Hackett reviewed the incident and told Football Insider he believed the officials were correct, noting that the defender connected with the ball and that Maddison — who wasn’t in control of it — dropped too easily under the challenge.
The episode adds another chapter to what has been a frustrating campaign for Spurs in terms of penalty decisions. Hackett has previously flagged that Tottenham have been hard done by this season, singling out their January defeat to West Ham as a game where at least one strong penalty shout was missed by both the referee and VAR.
Remarkably, Spurs remain one of just two Premier League clubs — along with Aston Villa — yet to be awarded a single penalty all season. With only two games left and a relegation battle still to resolve, those missed calls could yet prove significant if West Ham manage to close the gap and overtake them in the table.
