2-0 victory over Crystal Palace has sparked another debate about VAR after Spurs were reportedly denied a penalty during the Premier League encounter, just hours after Jean-Philippe Mateta’s controversial sending-off.
Roberto De Zerbi’s men secured their third consecutive Premier League victory, continuing their impressive revival under the Italian manager.
However, the match was not without controversy, with another refereeing decision attracting attention from supporters.
Mateta’s controversial red card
The biggest talking point came in the 13th minute when Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta was shown a red card following a dangerous challenge on Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven.
Referee Michael Oliver initially produced a yellow card, but VAR recommended an on-field review. After watching the replay, Oliver changed his decision and dismissed the French striker for serious foul play.
The decision immediately generated debate, with supporters and football observers questioning whether the challenge deserved a straight red card.
Another VAR controversy involving Tottenham
Despite the controversy surrounding Mateta’s dismissal, another incident reportedly involving a Tottenham player became a talking point.
Spurs supporters were unhappy with the decision not to award their team a penalty, believing there was sufficient contact to warrant a spot-kick.
The incident added to the frustration surrounding the officiating and raised further questions about the consistency of VAR decisions during the match.
However, the available match reports do not independently establish that the incident was a clear penalty or that VAR made an error.
Tottenham continue their winning run
On the pitch, Tottenham eventually secured a comfortable 2-0 victory.
Young midfielder Archie Gray opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a header from a Mohammed Kudus corner.
Jan Paul van Hecke then doubled Tottenham’s advantage in the 73rd minute, giving De Zerbi’s side some breathing room.
The victory marked three consecutive Premier League wins for Tottenham, their best league winning run since February 2025.
Growing questions about VAR
The latest incident has reignited discussions about VAR and the consistency of refereeing decisions in the Premier League.
For Tottenham supporters, the frustration is that while VAR intervened to upgrade Mateta’s yellow card to a red, they believe their own team should also have received favourable consideration over the penalty incident.
