Roberto De Zerbi has claimed that the referee in Tottenham's 1-1 draw with Leeds United on Monday night was not calm, and he believes the pressure from Arsenal's controversial victory at West Ham the previous day may have influenced the officiating.
Match Recap: Spurs Held by Leeds
Spurs continued their battle against relegation when they hosted Leeds at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mathys Tel scored a brilliant opener for the home side early in the second half, but he later conceded a penalty, which Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted in the 74th minute. Leeds pushed for a winner, with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky producing a stunning save from Sean Longstaff, but the match ended level. Tottenham also had hopes of a late winner, particularly when substitute James Maddison went down after a challenge from Lukas Nmecha in the penalty area. The contact was minimal, and Nmecha appeared to touch the ball, so no penalty was awarded.
De Zerbi's Unusual Criticism of Officials
After seeing a penalty given against his side but not one in their favor, De Zerbi offered an unusual assessment of the match officials. He suggested that the drama surrounding Arsenal's win at West Ham on Sunday, where a late Hammers goal was ruled out after a VAR review, may have affected the referee's composure. "I think they were not calm today, maybe they suffered the pressure of yesterday's Arsenal game," De Zerbi said. "For sure we suffered the pressure today. We didn't play with passion with the ball, too frenetic but also the referee was not calm today."
De Zerbi also defended the VAR decision that disallowed Callum Wilson's goal for West Ham, stating: "I can't understand the polemic about yesterday's VAR because it was 200 per cent a foul, not 100 per cent, 200 per cent."
Relegation Battle Intensifies
With just two games remaining, Tottenham sit 17th in the Premier League table, two points above the relegation zone and one place clear of West Ham. They also boast a significantly better goal difference than their London rivals, which could prove crucial. De Zerbi admitted his team were not at their best but felt they deserved to win. "We didn't play a great game – we played a good game," he said. "I think we deserved to win anyway but maybe the pressure, the crucial game, the crucial part of the season, we suffered too much. Anyway I am happy because I watched my players with the right spirit, with the right mentality."
He added: "We made too many mistakes. If we want to win we have to reduce the mistakes, but we knew before this game it will be tough until the end of the season, until the last game. It is tough for us and tough for everyone."
Upcoming Fixtures
West Ham travel to Newcastle on Sunday and could leapfrog Tottenham with a victory. Anything less would allow Spurs to potentially secure their safety before the final day. Tottenham face Chelsea on Tuesday, May 19, while the final day sees Spurs host Everton and West Ham welcome Leeds to east London.
