Tottenham are set to lodge a formal complaint over the decision not to send off Leeds defender Jayden Bogle for his challenge on Mathys Tel during the defeat at Elland Road. It is understood Spurs will write to refereeing body Pro Ref to seek an explanation for why the incident did not result in a dismissal.
Bogle, 26, escaped any punishment after catching Tel on the back of the ankle with his studs in the first half of Saturday’s game. Tottenham believe he should have been sent off.
The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) reviewed the challenge thoroughly, but referee John Brooks was never sent to the pitchside monitor, so Bogle was not shown a card. Former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann called the Leeds defender “fortunate” not to be dismissed.
“Bogle’s challenge meets the criteria for serious foul play as he endangers the safety of an opponent,” Cann said. “He can consider himself lucky to still be on the pitch.”
Tottenham lose momentum
When play resumed, less than nine minutes of the first half remained, and Tottenham’s momentum and composure were fading quickly. Roberto De Zerbi’s side never appeared to recover from the incident. After the break, Leeds outworked and outplayed them.
Even so, De Zerbi refused to pin Spurs’ failings on the referee’s decision. Perhaps buoyed by his side’s recent rise up the table, he took responsibility for the performance.
“We deserved to lose the game in the second half and didn’t play like we can,” he said. “It’s a journey for us because we can learn from this game.
“I am sorry for the performance in the second half. We didn’t play like a top team. We didn’t have the right character and physicality in the second half.”
The defeat was Tottenham’s first Premier League loss since September.
“We have full confidence in the referee and VAR”
When the public address system at Elland Road announced a VAR check, it seemed only a matter of time before Bogle was shown a red card. He had been full-blooded in his pursuit of the ball, and he appeared certain to follow Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta, who was sent off for a similar challenge against Spurs the previous weekend.
Strangely, Brooks never made his way to the pitchside monitor. The entire four-minute review was conducted solely by the VAR hub at Stockley Park.
“They’ve said no red card, and this will create debate,” former Tottenham midfielder Michael Brown said. Because Brooks had not initially cautioned Bogle, the defender left the incident without any punishment.
De Zerbi said he had great faith in the match official. “I have big confidence in the referee. Nothing changes if he goes to the monitor,” he said. “If they didn’t take the right decision I don’t know. We have to keep the eyes on the performance where we can improve.”
Early in the second half, Tottenham’s frustration appeared to boil over. Defender Pedro Porro and De Zerbi himself were booked at the same time after a challenge by the Spanish defender. De Zerbi described the caution for Porro as “incredible” given what had happened in the first half.
“I was surprised on the yellow card for Pedro Porro because it was clear,” he said. “The potential red card, I couldn’t say.
“We have full confidence in the referee and VAR. I cannot say nothing more.”
Was Bogle fortunate to escape a red card?
Bogle was certainly very lucky to avoid even a booking. He was positioning his body to challenge Tel with his right foot, and while trying to plant his left foot, he stood on the Spurs player’s ankle.
At full speed, the incident looked innocuous, which is probably why Brooks chose not to show a card after giving the foul. Slow-motion replays, however, revealed that the contact on Tel was very ugly, with a twisting of the ankle.
The incident could easily have led VAR Tony Harrington to send Brooks to the pitchside monitor for an on-field review for a red card. Harrington spent far too long studying the replays, probably feeling he had more time while Tel received treatment. Longer reviews, however, tend only to raise doubts about process.
Harrington eventually told Brooks: “I’m confirming the on-field decision of no red card. There’s a lack of speed going into the challenge and he’s stepping into the tackle. Confirming a reckless challenge.”
A reckless challenge warrants a yellow card, but the VAR cannot intervene to advise that Bogle should be booked. Harrington’s remark about “stepping into the challenge” is also significant. It does not mean a player cannot be sent off, but such challenges come with less force and are far less likely to trigger a VAR review for a red card.
Comparisons with Mateta
There is an argument that Mateta, who was booked on the field, made less forceful contact on the ankle of Micky van de Ven. However, the nature of the challenge is the crucial difference. Mateta made a lunging, stretching tackle with studs leading, the kind generally considered to carry a higher degree of force and potential danger.
Even though Bogle was not really making a challenge, the nature of the contact means many people may feel there should have been a VAR review for a red card.