Yahoo News Infuriating handball call denies Tottenham victory, sends Jose Mourinho to locker room early (video)
Tottenham was denied a win over Newcastle on Sunday after Callum Wilson’s penalty deep in stoppage time yielded a 1-1 draw.
That penalty call has to be seen to be believed. Newcastle sent a free kick to the far side of the box, where Andy Carroll headed it down off Eric Dier’s outstretched arm. Play continued for nearly a minute before the ball went out of bounds, and then a two-minute VAR review ensued before referee Peter Bankes whistled for a penalty.
It’s ridiculous to believe Dier knew anything in the moment about where his arm was placed. His motion wasn’t natural, per se, but it was well within the expected confines of the type of desperate defending needed to close out a Premier League win.
Judge for yourself:
Jose Mourinho headed to the locker room immediately after the penalty, disinterested in watching what little time remained in the match.
Afterward, he decided against any potential fines for criticizing the officiating and the Football Association publicly.
“If I give money away, I’ll give to charities,” he said in his postgame interview. “I don’t want to give to the FA.”
Even Newcastle manager Steve Bruce agreed.
“It is a total nonsense,” he said. “We should be jumping through hoops but I would be devastated if that was us. ... The decisions are ruining the spectacle. We have to get together as managers and say this must stop.”
Lucas Moura’s first-half goal had Spurs primed for a second consecutive win until the late penalty. By the letter of the law, it was probably a handball. But the law needs a revamp, and the calls for it to change are only growing louder.
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