Tottenham Hotspur endured a heavy 3–0 defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Igor Jesus scoring just before half-time. Morgan Gibbs-White and Taiwo Awoniyi added goals after the break to complete the victory. Earlier in the match, Spurs saw two penalty appeals dismissed by referee Michael Oliver. ⚽
After the game, former FIFA referee Keith Hackett criticized the officiating, arguing that firmer action should have been taken sooner—particularly against Ibrahim Sangaré for a first-half challenge. Sangaré initially lunged at Djed Spence outside the penalty area before making another strong tackle on Archie Gray, who appeared to be hurt. Hackett believed the first challenge was reckless and deserved a yellow card.
He explained that failing to punish the initial foul allowed a second incident to occur, which also warranted at least a booking. According to Hackett, the referee did not manage the sequence of play firmly enough, and both players involved in the second challenge were fortunate to avoid stronger disciplinary action. Sangaré was eventually booked later in the second half for a less serious foul, likely due to the accumulation of earlier offences.
The defeat has intensified pressure on manager Igor Tudor, with growing concerns about his future ahead of their trip to face Sunderland after the international break. 📉 Including his spell at Juventus, Tudor has now gone 10 league matches without a win—the worst run of his managerial career. Since taking charge in north London, he has managed just one victory in seven games across all competitions, a result that came in a largely insignificant UEFA Champions League clash against Atlético Madrid.
While some refereeing decisions went against Spurs, they do not fully explain the disappointing performance. Despite strong support from the fans, the team delivered a display that fell well below expectations.
