Noah Okafor’s late winner secured Leeds United a 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Elland Road on Saturday, ending the hosts’ winless run and leaving Spurs frustrated by a controversial first-half decision involving Jayden Bogle.
Leeds were deserved winners, while Tottenham saw their three-match winning streak come to an end. However, the visitors were left furious after Bogle escaped a red card for a dangerous challenge on Mathys Tel.
The Leeds right wing-back caught Tel on the Achilles just after the half-hour mark. Referee John Brooks awarded a foul but took no further action against the defender.
A four-minute VAR review followed, with VAR official Tony Harrington opting against recommending an on-field review.
The challenge was ultimately deemed reckless rather than serious foul play, despite Tel being forced off with an ankle injury shortly afterwards.
Former Premier League referee Mike Dean described Bogle’s challenge as “100 per cent a red card”. The incident came just a week after Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta was sent off for a similar challenge during Tottenham’s victory over the Eagles.
Tottenham supporters expressed their anger over the decision, but manager Roberto De Zerbi refused to blame the defeat on the controversial incident.
“I have big confidence in the referee. Nothing changes if he, Brooks, goes to watch the clip or not, I think. There was VAR and if they didn’t take the right decision, I don’t know, but we have confidence,” De Zerbi told TNT Sports.
“We have to keep our eyes on the performance and where we can improve.”
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