Harry Kane couldn’t quite believe that he wasn’t awarded a penalty during Tottenham’s shock 1-0 home defeat to Newcastle on Sunday.
Steve Bruce’s visitors claimed a surprise first Premier League win of the season in North London, though the game was marred by controversy and confusion surrounding VAR.
Kane appeared to be brought down by falling Newcastle defender Jamaal Lascelles, with VAR upholding the decision after referee Mike Dean waved play on.
Speaking about the decision, the Tottenham forward says it’s ‘hard to understand’ how Dean, nor the Video Assistant Referee, deemed the collision to be a foul.
What a mess 🤦♂️
Harry Kane: "Mike Dean said that he just didn't know, he couldn't see."
PGMOL: "VAR deemed that there was not enough evidence to overturn the original call and so stuck with the on-field decision." pic.twitter.com/YVcG7s4HJC
— Daily Hotspur (@Daily_Hotspur) August 26, 2019
“It is hard to understand how it hasn’t been given,” Kane said. “Just like when a keeper comes out, uses his arms and trips you up – it’s a penalty.
“I kind of tripped over his (Lascelles) arm and then his body. Whether it was deliberate or not, from my point of view it is hard to take. It is there to help the referee on the pitch. That being said he didn’t know, he couldn’t see.
“That’s where VAR is there to help him out. If he had said ‘no penalty’ and the VAR said it was a 50-50, you can agree.
“I don’t know what the conversation was – whether he said he didn’t see it or not, but from my point of view, it’s hard to understand. That’s the way football goes sometimes.
“Sometimes you are going to get the rub of the green with VAR, sometimes not. I felt it didn’t go our way against Newcastle.”
Man City’s Gundogan says VAR is sapping the emotion out of football
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