‘Wrong decision’ -former EPL referee delivers verdict on major incident during Tottenham loss v Chelsea
Mark Clattenburg renders a decision regarding the Destiny Udogie tackle in Tottenham’s defeat over Chelsea.
Spurs defender Destiny Udogie was “lucky,” according to Mark Clattenburg, to have escaped a straight red card for his tackle on Raheem Sterling.
Monday night’s 4-1 loss to Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium marked the team’s first Premier League defeat of the current season.
During the course of the match, Cristian Romero and Udogie were sent off. Udogie was given two yellow cards, but Clatterburg thinks the left-back was lucky to stay on the field in the first half.
After launching an absurd challenge at Sterling in the first half, Michael Oliver was forced to back down when the Italy international attacked him early in the second half.
“I chose the incorrect option. There were two factors that made Destiny Udogie lucky. One, because Raheem Sterling moved his leg away to prevent a serious injury. Second, Brooks neglected to let Oliver know that this was a challenge worthy of a red. With his studs on display and his feet visible, Udogie led the charge. This kind of challenge has to end in football, according to Clatterburg’s Daily Mail article from November 7, page 69.
Spurs need to bounce back
Five goals were not allowed in a chaotic game. Spurs had a great start, but their defense began to unravel. The home team paid the price for the careless and pointless challenges made by players like Romero and Destiny.
Even after losing both players, Postecoglou stuck to playing the high line, which allowed Chelsea’s attackers to score freely as well. After Nicolas Jackson scored a hat-trick, it is reasonable to question whether that was the wisest course of action.
Postecoglou will also be worried about the injuries sustained by James Maddison and Micky van de Ven, as both players will likely be sidelined for a while.
Additionally, Postecoglou continued to play the high line after losing both players, which gave Chelsea’s attackers unrestricted access to the goal. After Nicolas Jackson scored a hat-trick, it is reasonable to wonder if that was the best course of action.
Furthermore, after losing both players, Postecoglou persisted in playing the high line, allowing Chelsea’s attackers unimpeded access to the goal. It’s fair to question if that was the right move after Nicolas Jackson scored a hat-trick.
Postecoglou will also be concerned about the injuries to James Maddison and Micky van de Ven, who will both likely be sidelined for a while.
