MARK CLATTENBURG

The official line

THE PENALTY WAS SOFT...

THIS was a defining decision in a match with so much riding on the result and I’m not sure I would have given this. Technically, Paul Tierney wasn’t wrong. We were shown a replay of what the referee could see from behind and it looked like a nudge in the back from Cedric Soares on Son Heung-min. But if we’re going to give this as a penalty, I could find plenty of other examples when the same ‘foul’ has occurred in the box in other games. The inconsistency is frustrating because when this happens next week in another Premier League game, will it be given? Maybe. Maybe not. Unfortunately for Arsenal, Tierney considered it a clear foul and Harry Kane said thank you very much.

...BUT HOLDING HAD TO GO

HOLDING had already been fouling Son prior to receiving his first yellow, almost targeting the Spurs forward in a running battle. Referees allow a degree of feistiness in derbies but Tierney finally lost patience with Holding and booked him for his third foul on Son, when he pulled back his opponent. Given he was already on a yellow, it was stupid of Holding to block Son’s run (above) using an elevated arm. Antonio Conte’s teams love making it so that the referee has decisions to make. Holding fell for it hook, line and sinker.