TOTTENHAM SHEFF UTD SO SOLE
VAR robbed Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United of their biggest scalp yet – and spared Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino more humiliation.
While the Blades did preserve their brilliant unbeaten away record this season, they left the capital knowing it could have been so much more.
No, make that should. For only video assistant referee Jonathan Moss came between the boys from Bramall Lane and a magnificent three points.
It was hard to find anyone, anywhere, who agreed with the decision by Moss to disallow David Mcgoldrick’s 60thminute tap-in.
The fact the official needed three minutes and seven seconds to rule John Lundstram’s toe was offside much earlier in the move said it all. It was virtually impossible to decipher.
Replay after replay failed to prove it either way – until the red, yellow and blue squiggly lines on the screen persuaded Moss to overturn Graham Scott’s on-field call.
All of which left Blades boss Wilder questioning the intervention from Stockley Park – and hailing his players’ never- say- die spirit after George Baldock’s 78th-minute effort cancelled out Heung-min Son’s opener.
Wilder, whose side are now fifth on 17 points, declared: “The disappointing thing for me is we’re talking about VAR at every press conference. Yes, I’m 100 per cent fed up talking about it.
“Lundstram’s big toe is bigger than it should be – or whatever. Our analysts have looked at it and say it’s his toe.
“If it’s offside, we have to get on with it. But the re-set is confusing for me. Where do you re- set? Lundstram’s cross was cleared. The ball for the goal came from the other side.
“The most pleasing thing is we did not let that get us down. We deserved a point. We’re on 17 now. That looks great, but we feel it should be 19.”
Opposite number Pochettino was equally frustrated – with Tottenham’s latest lame display rather than VAR.
This result means his side have won just one league game in seven – and the points gap between themselves and the top four is now into double figures.
Their under- fire boss
(right) said: “If you don’t win, you are disappointed. It’s impossible to be happy, of course.
“But I think it was a fair result. They deserved a point. Sheffield were better than us in the first half, we were better