De Zerbi Furious as Tottenham Denied Dramatic Late Penalty in Crucial Leeds Draw

Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi launched a furious criticism of Australian referee Jarred Gillett after his side were denied a dramatic late penalty during Tuesday morning’s 1-1 Premier League draw against Leeds United.

With Tottenham battling to preserve their Premier League status, controversy erupted deep into stoppage time in north London when Lukas Nmecha appeared to catch Spurs midfielder James Maddison inside the penalty area in the 103rd minute.

Tottenham players and supporters immediately appealed for a penalty, but Gillett waved play on, with VAR subsequently supporting the on-field decision.

Earlier in the contest, the Australian official had awarded a penalty to the visitors in the 74th minute after a separate incident, which was calmly converted by Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Speaking after the match, an animated De Zerbi suggested match officials may have been influenced by the scrutiny surrounding VAR decisions from the previous day, particularly after West Ham United had a late equaliser controversially ruled out against Premier League leaders Arsenal.

“I think the officials were not calm. Maybe they felt the pressure from the Arsenal game,” De Zerbi said.

“For sure, we suffered because of that pressure. We did not play with enough composure on the ball and we were too frantic at times, but the referee was also not calm.

“It was 200 per cent a foul on Maddison — not 100 per cent, 200 per cent.”

Despite his frustration over the result, De Zerbi welcomed the long-awaited return of Maddison, who made his first competitive appearance in 12 months following recovery from an ACL injury.

“It is great news for us,” the Spurs boss added.

“He is a different player because of his quality, and I hope he will be crucial for us.”

The hard-earned draw leaves Tottenham sitting 17th in the Premier League table, just above the relegation zone and now two points clear of fellow London side West Ham.

Spurs face a difficult end to the campaign with away fixtures against Chelsea and a home clash against Everton still to come.

Meanwhile, West Ham will travel to Newcastle United before hosting Leeds on the final day of the season.

Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers have already been relegated and will compete in next season’s Championship.