Tottenham manager Anzhi Postekoglou said he was “the angriest he’s been in his career” after being upset over Newcastle’s controversial equalizer against Spurs.
Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon equalized six minutes after the ball hit Joelinton’s hand in the build-up, but VAR ruled that “his arm was at his side and in a natural position and the contact was accidental”. A goal was conceded.
Former Premier League referee Mike Dean also agreed with the decision. soccer saturday Joelinton’s alleged handball “did not result in a direct goal” after a deflection fell to Bruno Guimaraes, setting up Gordon.
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Former Premier League referee Mike Dean has insisted Newcastle’s equalizer at Tottenham was correctly disallowed.
But a furious Postekoglou was “angry” and “disappointed” about Joelinton’s handball call, without directly commenting.
Asked at the post-match press conference for his opinion on Gordon’s decision to concede the equalizer, Postekoglou replied: If there had been a fair and equitable competition we would have won that game.
“And don’t keep asking me about the decision. If you don’t have an opinion on it, that’s okay. I know what my opinion is, and like I said, if it had been any other day and fair and square play, then we would have won that game. no see.”
He added: “I take my hat off to the players for putting on a performance like this considering everything we’ve had to go through and the situation we’re in right now. I thought they were great.”
“I’m the most angry I’ve ever been in my career. I’m really angry that they haven’t been properly compensated for their fantastic work.”
When asked if he was angry at the officiating, he responded: “You know what you want me to say, but I won’t do it. My thoughts are clear: Whether people agree with me or not, you think it’s right. Handball or not, accidental or whatever, I I have absolutely no interest in such discussions.
“What I’m trying to say is that on any given day, if there had been a fair, level playing field and a logical thought process, we would have won that game. That’s it. You can get what you want. I don’t know what. What else can I say about that? there is.”
The Australian believed his injury-hit side, who had been hit by a sickness bug in the build-up to the game, deserved the win as they had suffered three defeats in Spurs’ last four games, with Alexander Isaac’s 38th-minute winner at Newcastle.
Alexander Isaac scored Newcastle’s winning goal in the first half.
“I’m very proud,” Postecoglou said of the performance. “It’s a shame the players didn’t get the rewards they deserved because we were outstanding. Our football was outstanding against a very good opponent who played well.
“This is a game we deserved to win and on any other day we would have won.”
He added: “There were literally 11 fit players for training on Thursday but I don’t care about that. What I care about is that the players performed unbelievably.”
“It’s unfair to them more than anything that they don’t get the compensation they deserve today.”
He also added: “The only thing that stopped us wasn’t football.”
Howe: Gordon’s goal deserves to be awarded
Anthony Gordon controversially equalized after Joelinton’s alleged handball in the build-up.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe admitted the ball had hit Joelinton’s arm, but Gordon’s goal was right to be disallowed.
“I can’t sit here and lie and say I didn’t see it, because I did,” he said of the incident in his post-game press conference.
“It definitely hit Joelinton on the arm, I can tell you that, but I can’t control the referee’s decision.
“I believe his arm was in its natural position and that was because the referee and VAR followed the established rules and protocols.”
Howe also disagreed with Postecoglou’s view that Spurs deserved to win the game.
“I thought we were dominant in the first half today. I thought we could have been more dominant in the first half and I thought we should have been,” he said.
“Yes, Tottenham played well in the second half, brought in good players and pushed us at times.”
“But we’ve done enough to get over the line.”
