Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank slammed the VAR decision to award Newcastle a penalty as an “absolute mistake.” His remarks followed Cristian Romero’s injury-time overhead kick that salvaged a 2-2 draw. The contentious penalty, given in the 86th minute, resulted from Rodrigo Bentancur holding Dan Burn, a decision Frank felt was incorrect.
The penalty, converted by Anthony Gordon, drew criticism from pundits who noted similar incidents often occur without being penalized. Frank argued that the on-field referee made the right call initially, and VAR should only intervene for clear errors, not for marginal holding offenses at corners.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe defended the penalty call, pointing to the defender’s focus on his opponent. Despite the controversy, Romero’s late equalizer ensured Tottenham left with a point, prompting further debate on VAR consistency in the Premier League.