Farke furious after ‘unfair’ VAR spares Spurs’ blushes
Jose Mourinho admitted his side gave away Christmas “gifts” to Norwich – but that could not soothe the winter blues for Daniel Farke, whose team suffered from a stunning video assistant referee controversy.
Farke feels that the officials are being Scrooge-like with his struggling Norwich side, who saw Teemu Pukki controversially denied a goal as the home side led 1-0.
The Norwich striker had his effort ruled out when his upper body was deemed to be in an offside position, while his feet were not.
It was an eyebrow-raising interpretation of what can be defined as an offside position and a pivotal moment.
Instead of the score going to 2-0, Spurs were still firmly in the game and managed to eventually earn a draw with a second-half effort that showed character and creativity at times.
That managed to paper over the cracks of the howlers that their defenders produced in conceding twice.
Mourinho had tried to shore them up by fielding a 3-5-2 line-up, but had to rip up those plans for the second half, making a double substitution to remove the poor Juan Foyth and Jan Vertonghen. Harry Kane’s late equaliser from the penalty spot eventually spared Spurs’ blushes.
“Some crucial decisions went against us,” said Farke. “My feeling is we should try to make the game more fair. Against Villa, we conceded from a clear and obvious mistake.
“In this case, when you watch it back without a line, people would say it’s not offside. I can’t influence it – it’s a waste of energy. I have to accept this.
“I’m prepared that no VAR decisions will go in our favour. That’s the feeling at the moment.”
Mourinho was surprisingly upbeat about his side’s fightback as he took into consideration the overall performance rather than focusing on the defending.
“With defensive mistakes, we have to accept the result – without mistakes, we played so well,” said Mourinho.
“We started the game creating chances and finished the game creating chances.”
Mourinho had helped Spurs to improve their away form, but this was a night that proved to be another reality check.
The Spurs manager had said before the game that it was a crime that his team were playing football again within 48 hours of taking on Brighton on Boxing Day – and many of his players fell well short.
Spurs are now without a clean sheet in 17 Premier League away fixtures.
Mourinho had remodelled his team here, with suspensions limiting his options, and started with a backmore line of Juan Foyth, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen in a 3-5-2 system. There was a generous tribute of applause on all sides of the ground to the late Martin Peters, then the teams – including Kane making his 200th Premier League appearance – made a competitive start to the game.
The warning signs were there for Spurs in the 10th minute when Marco Stierpemann skipped through into a dangerous position but his low. toepoked strike was pushed away well by goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga. Spurs then missed a couple of chances of their own as Dele Alli struck a shot over the bar from 16 yards, before Kane was thwarted by Norwich goalkeeper Tim Krul. Mourinho s men then imploded for the first time to go 1-0 behind. Foyth was dispossessed by Emi Buendia, who then found Mario Vrancic, around 35 yards from goal. The Norwich midfielder advanced to the edge of the 18-yard box, with space open in front of him, and produced a low shot that Gazzaniga could not keep out, only helping it in with his right hand.
Cheap surrendering of possession – this time by Serge Aurier – almost cost Spurs again, when Vrancic played a long ball to Pukki, who controlled it on his chest then fired in – only for the strike to be ruled out by that controversial VAR decision, stunning many in the ground.
There have been many controversial moments created by the VAR system this season, but this was up there among the most debatable. “It’s not football any more,” chanted the frustrated Norwich fans after the call was made to rule the goal out and there was anger directed at the officials as they left the field at the half-time whistle.
Mourinho took action at the break with his changes and Spurs made a more encouraging start to the second period as Eriksen delivered a slick pass for Alli who ventured into a dangerous area but was eventually denied by a crucial tackle from Christoph Zimmermann.
More controversy was just around the corner, though, when Jamal Lewis handled a delivery from Lucas Moura, but he was only booked rather than being sent off.
Eriksen profited from the free-kick though, curling the ball in to equalise. His strike took a touch off the wall, taking the ball away so that Krul could not stop it hitting the net.
Spurs were next to be frustrated by an offside decision as Alli lofted the ball in with a subtle touch, only to see his effort disallowed – but, on this occasion the decision was justified.
Norwich promptly regained the lead from more dire Spurs defending. Pukki could not control the ball at the end of a Norwich attack and lost control of it – but Aurier then comically diverted the ball beyond his own goalkeeper to put the home team back in front.
It became a rearguard action for Norwich, who could not hold out in the face of mounting Spurs pressure.
Kane was brought down by Zimmermann, leading to the striker taking the resultant spot-kick and his cool strike – his 150th league goal – spared Mourinho’s blushes. Norwich (4-2-3-1) Krul 6; Aarons 6, Zimmermann 7, Hanley 6, Lewis 5; Tettey 6 (Cantwell 86), Vrancic 7 (Trybull 75); Buendia 7, Stiepermann 6 (McLean 70, 6), Hernandez 6; Pukki 7. Subs McGovern, Byram, Amadou, Srbeny. Booked Vrancic, Krul, Lewis. Tottenham Hotspur (3-5-2) Gazzaniga 6; Foyth 4 (Sanchez 46, 6), Alderweireld 6, Vertonghen 5 (Moura 46, 7); Aurier 5, Eriksen 7, Ndombele 6, Lo Celso 6 (Lamela 74), Sessegnon 6; Alli 6, Kane 7. Subs Vorm, Dier, Skipp, Tanganga. Booked Moura, Alderweireld. Referee Kevin Friend (Leicestershire).