James Maddison has unleashed on Premier League referees and VAR after Tottenham Hotspur's 1-1 draw against Leeds United on Monday night.
The clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could've seen the hosts move four points clear of the relegation zone. Instead, they are just two points above West Ham with as many games left to go.
Mathys Tel scored a stunning opener before the visitors were awarded a second-half penalty for a high boot on Ethan Ampadu. Dominic Calvert-Lewin smashed home from the spot, but Spurs feel they should've had a penalty of their own in the dying stages.
James Maddison Claims Penalty Decision Was Wrong
It was an emotional night for James Maddison, who stepped onto the pitch for the first time this season after going through injury hell. The England international had been absent since picking up a long-term knock in pre-season.
He's returned just in time to try and rescue the north London club from the prospect of playing Championship football next term. He thought he'd made a telling contribution when he appeared to be tripped by Leeds forward Lukas Nmecha inside the 18-yard box in stoppage time.
However, a VAR check confirmed the on-field decision of no penalty and Spurs had to settle for a draw. Now, Maddison has taken to social media in a furious rant to explain why that was wrong.
He posted on Instagram, revealing he told the referee that the Leeds player didn't touch the ball, saying: "For clarity... the small tiny touch on the ball to change direction came from the outside of my right foot, not Nmecha. I told the ref that but the check was over in about 20 seconds."
"Officials are petrified to make decisions on the pitch now because of VAR," he added. It's not the only controversial VAR decision of the weekend as relegation rivals West Ham were denied a late point against Arsenal the day before.
Premier League Explain Maddison's Non-Penalty
Shortly after the final whistle blew, an explanation was provided by the Premier League. They judged that Nmecha got the telling touch on the ball, and therefore didn't commit a foul on Maddison. The statement read:
"The referee’s call of no penalty to Tottenham Hotspur was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed that Nmecha played the ball."