Maddison slams 'petrified' referees after VAR penalty drama

Tottenham Hotspur v Leeds United - Premier League

James Maddison has strongly criticised Premier League referees, claiming VAR has left them "petrified" of making on-field decisions. The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder was left furious after being denied a crucial late penalty following a challenge from Lukas Nmecha during Monday night's 1-1 draw against Leeds United, dealing a significant blow to their survival hopes.

Controversial late penalty shout

Mathys Tel opened the scoring for the hosts before conceding a penalty, which Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted past Antonin Kinsky to tie the game up. The controversy then erupted in the 103rd minute at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when Maddison went down under a challenge from Lukas Nmecha. Referee Jarred Gillett waved away the appeals, a decision upheld by VAR.

The Premier League Match Centre explained on X: "The referee’s call of no penalty to Tottenham Hotspur was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed that Nmecha played the ball."

Tottenham Hotspur v Leeds United - Premier League

Maddison vents frustration online

Infuriated by the swift review, the midfielder took to Instagram on Tuesday evening to strongly dispute the official explanation. He insisted that the defender did not play the ball and that officiating standards have dropped. Maddison wrote: "For clarity… The small, tiny touch on the ball to change direction came from the outside of my right foot, not Nmecha, and I told the ref that. But the check was over in about 20 seconds. Officials are petrified to make decisions on pitch now because of VAR. We keep fighting. COYS."

Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi also claimed Gillett was "not calm" during the match.

High stakes in the survival race

The dropped points represent a massive setback for Tottenham in a tense relegation battle. Spurs currently sit 17th in the Premier League table with 38 points from 36 games. They narrowly lead 18th-placed West Ham United, who have 36 points from the exact same number of matches. The Hammers currently occupy the final relegation spot after Burnley and Wolves had their demotions confirmed. A victory against Leeds would have given De Zerbi's side a vital four-point cushion, but they must now navigate the remainder of the campaign with minimal margin for error.

Tottenham Hotspur v Leeds United - Premier League

Decisive final fixtures

Tottenham face a demanding climax to the season as they look to definitively secure Premier League safety. Spurs must travel to face Chelsea before hosting Everton. Meanwhile, relegation rivals West Ham will play Newcastle away before welcoming Leeds to the London Stadium to conclude their highly stressful campaign.