I generally avoid criticising referees, aware of just how tough a job it is at the highest level. The installation of the video assistant referee (VAR) has added another layer of complexity, with the state of officiating utopia we naively thought the technology would facilitate nowhere to be seen.
We know Tottenham Hotspur have been putrid this season, perhaps deserving their existential struggle thanks to the complacency and incompetence of those running the show upstairs. Still, they wouldn't be in their current precarious situation if they'd hadn't been so erroneously dealt with by PGMOL.
You don't want to hide behind poor refereeing as the primary reason for blips, sustained malaises, or terrible seasons. I covered Arsenal for a couple of years and was subject to unrelenting cries of an FA conspiracy from their neurotic fanbase every time something didn't go their way.
However, now I'm starting to feel like one of those overtly emotional Gooners who attributed blame to anyone or anything but the football itself.
Two big refereeing decisions went against Tottenham in Chelsea defeat
This was a disastrous Tuesday for Tottenham, starting with Manchester City's 1-1 draw with Bournemouth that confirmed those folk down the road as champions.
Having been only three when the âInvinciblesâ were crowned, this is my first experience of an Arsenal title success. I said in my recent newsletter that it was a fate I'd long accepted, but nothing prepares you for the official confirmation. Never before have I resented the happiness of my closest friends so much. Damn you, Iraola.
Anyway, after that all went down, there was just no way we were going to get the result we needed at Stamford Bridge. An absolute graveyard of a ground for this football club, Spurs would've wilted had Calum McFarlane picked 11 supporters at random from the stands in his starting XI, especially seeing as we were the ones more desperate for a result.
Nevertheless, the game was delicately poised heading into the final quarter thanks to Richarlison's tap-in. With Chelsea offering little after scoring their second, just one moment was required. James Maddison's arrival supplied greater hope of invention, and although momentum was once again hard to muster when chasing a game, Stuart Attwell could have given us a helping hand.
The moment of contention arrived when Attwell halted Mathys Tel's corner to book Marc Cucurella for hauling Micky van de Ven to the ground. Now, a penalty can't be awarded for a foul that occurs while the ball isn't in play, but the worst of Spaniard's grappling most certainly takes place after Tel has taken the corner.
It's hard to precisely discern when the foul takes place in relation to the ball being kicked, and I think we've been subject to more egregious instances of misfortune (there's a long list), but God, would it kill the referees to give us something? Our wait for a Premier League penalty in 2025/26 goes on.
Then, minutes later, the brutish Liam Delap gets away with staring down Djed Spence and landing a nasty forearm/elbow into the side of his face. On the scene, Attwell was quick to brandish a yellow card. Fine, but how has the VAR not stepped in?! It's as clear a red card as you're likely to see, especially when you consider some of the dismissals that have compromised the Lilywhites this season, namely Xavi Simons against Liverpool and Cristian Romero at Old Trafford.
Had the just decision been made, and not merely overlooked by the hapless folk at Stockley Park, then Spurs would've had at least 10 minutes with a man advantage. We probably wouldn't have made the most of it, but that's beside the point.
Officials are continuing to drastically hinder our quest for survival, yet the club seemingly remains content with the weekly ongoings. There's no conspiracy, but why are those in charge merely accepting such incompetence?