Tottenham’s late penalty appeal was waved away following a VAR check during their 1-1 stalemate with Leeds United, and the Premier League has since explained the reasoning behind the contentious call from Monday’s match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Deep into stoppage time, James Maddison went to ground under pressure from Lukas Nmecha. Referee Jarred Gillett rejected the initial appeals, and after VAR intervened, the decision was upheld. The Premier League clarified via their Match Centre account on X that the check confirmed Nmecha had made contact with the ball, which was enough to rule out the penalty.
Sky Sports co-commentator Alan Smith had spotted the possibility of a touch during the live review, noting that while Nmecha clearly caught Maddison, the faintest contact with the ball could be enough to spare the Leeds midfielder.
The match itself had been a cagey affair in the opening half before Spurs broke the deadlock early in the second period through Mathys Tel. The young forward, however, also played an inadvertent role in Leeds drawing level. His attempted clearance inside his own box caught Ethan Ampadu, and after another VAR review, a penalty was given. Dominic Calvert-Lewin stepped up and converted to make it 1-1.
With a remarkable 13 minutes of added time, both sides went in search of a winner. Antonin Kinsky produced a fine save to keep out Sean Longstaff, before Spurs had their own late shout turned down.
For Maddison, the occasion marked his comeback from a lengthy knee injury, and he could prove vital in Tottenham’s two remaining fixtures — an away trip to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, followed by a home finale against Everton on Sunday 24 May.
