The Premier League Match Centre has issued an official explanation after Tottenham were controversially denied what could have been a crucial early goal at Selhurst Park.
Spurs travelled to Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon desperate to respond after back-to-back defeats against Nottingham Forest and Liverpool.
It appeared they had made the perfect start when Richarlison found the net in the 17th minute, sparking celebrations among the visiting fans in South London.
However, those celebrations were short-lived. A VAR review overturned the decision, ruling the goal out for offside in the build-up.
Pedro Porro and Lucas Bergvall had linked up neatly down the right flank, exchanging passes before Porro whipped a teasing cross into the six-yard area. Richarlison reacted first, tapping home after scoring in Spurs’ previous outing at the City Ground.
But VAR determined that Bergvall had drifted beyond the last defender before playing the ball back to Porro, prompting the goal to be chalked off.
The Premier League Match Centre later confirmed the decision on X, stating:
“VAR checked the referee’s call of goal and established that Bergvall was in an offside position in the build-up, recommending the goal be disallowed.”
Tottenham eventually did break the deadlock just before half-time, with Archie Gray marking a memorable moment by scoring his first senior goal. The youngster nodded in from close range after Richarlison flicked on a corner to give Spurs the lead.
Meanwhile, Richarlison’s frustration continues to grow. Despite being repeatedly labelled a disappointment since his big-money move from Everton, his scoring numbers this season tell a slightly different story.
The Brazilian arrived at Selhurst Park as the Premier League’s joint-fifth top scorer, level with Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers. Yet many of his goals have come in defeats, limiting their overall impact.
That could prove costly, especially with Dominic Solanke nearing a return to full fitness. The England forward has barely featured under Thomas Frank due to injury, but once available, he is expected to reclaim a regular starting spot—potentially pushing Richarlison further down the pecking order.
