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Son Heung-min scored his 100th Premier League goal and Harry Kane grabbed the winner as Tottenham beat Brighton 2-1 on Saturday, but arguably of more interest was the drama on and off the field at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Brighton dominated the game for large parts, had two goals disallowed for handball and saw a strong penalty appeal turned down, while both managers were sent off.
“What’s the point of it?” said Seagulls captain Lewis Dunk afterwards, when asked about the role of the video assistant referee.
BBC pundit and former Premier League striker Chris Sutton said the visitors had been “robbed” while Spurs interim head coach Cristian Stellini and Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi, tried to play down their touchline shenanigans.
Overall it was an action-packed, controversial and fiery afternoon in north London…
The tussle on the touchline
The two Italian managers were arguing on the touchline before the match even got under way. After shaking hands, they were in a heated discussion, with De Zerbi angrily pointing his finger towards his counterpart.
De Zerbi and Stellini were opponents during their playing careers in Italy and in his pre-match news conference Stellini described De Zerbi as an “aggressive” player.
“I challenged him sometimes and he was really aggressive,” he said.
The Spurs interim boss, who took charge following the departure of Antonio Conte, went on to say that De Zerbi was “not tactically fluid” like his predecessor at Brighton, Graham Potter.
“I think De Zerbi found a good solution to play with his style because that team came with Potter and they know themselves very well,” he said on Thursday.
Stellini later referred to his compatriot as a “great manager”, but was it that earlier comment that upset the Tottenham boss?
The first altercation set the tone for a feisty atmosphere which continued on the touchline until both managers were dismissed after a melee involving staff from both benches in the second half.
They even continued arguing as both walked down the tunnel.
‘I am a friendly person’
Afterwards, both men tried to avoid talking about the incidents, but De Zerbi did make one interesting comment.
“I am used to always respecting everyone and I want the same to me,” he said.
Stellini described himself as a “friendly person”, adding that he was trying to “do my job”.
“I don’t like to be involved when there is a fight or something too aggressive,” he said. “I’m quiet and focused on the game.”
The red card was De Zerbi’s second of the season after he was sent off against Fulham in February.
Brighton’s two disallowed goals
Albion had 17 shots to Tottenham’s nine and had the ball in the net three times. The issue was two of those efforts were disallowed for handball.
“We dominated it,” Dunk said. “They created two chances and scored two goals. I don’t understand football sometimes.”
First, Kaoru Mitoma was judged by the assistant referee to have used his upper arm to control a chipped pass before volleying in during the first half.
Dunk said he thought the ball had hit Mitoma above “the shirt line” – the point on the arm below which handballs should be given – which formed the thrust of Brighton’s protests but, despite a lengthy VAR delay, the decision stood.
The second handball decision was more clear cut. Danny Welbeck’s shot from 10 yards deflected off Alexis Mac Allister and under Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
The goal was initially given to put Brighton 2-1 up, but replays showed it had hit Mac Allister’s arm and VAR disallowed the goal.
Football’s laws state if a player “scores in the opponents’ goal directly from their arm, even if accidental”, the goal should be disallowed.
‘What is the point of VAR?’ – Dunk fumes at penalty decision
But more contentious was a penalty decision, which came shortly before Kane’s winner.
As Mitoma controlled the ball in the box, Spurs midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojberg stood on his boot, resulting in the Japan international falling to the ground.
“Mitoma is first to the ball, out comes Hojbjerg’s foot and he catches Mitoma’s boot,” said BBC Match of the Day commentator Steve Wilson. “I don’t see how it’s not a penalty.”
Referee Stuart Attwell waved away the initial appeals and was not asked to reverse the decision, or go to the TV monitor for a second look, despite another VAR check.
“I don’t see what VAR is here for,” Dunk said. “You bring it in for big decisions and don’t make big decisions. What is the point of it? He has clearly fouled him.”
Again, De Zerbi tried not to get involved.
“I don’t want to put more pressure on the referees,” he said. “I don’t like to discuss them. There were a lot of situations very clear.”
But former Chelsea striker Sutton said that call, and the first handball decision, was “horrendous”.
He said: “Brighton have been robbed this afternoon.
“At least two horrendous decisions go against Mitoma. [Referees’ chief] Howard Webb will be apologising to them once again, of that I’m sure! Truly awful.”
It was certainly a frustrating afternoon for the Seagulls, who were denied what could have been a crucial three points in their quest for European football.
