Tottenham are set to submit a formal complaint about the decision not to send off Jayden Bogle for his challenge on Mathys Tel during their defeat at Leeds. 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 Bogle should have been sent off. They will write to referee body Pro Ref to ask why the incident did not result in a dismissal.
The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) reviewed the challenge thoroughly, but referee John Brooks was never sent to the pitch-side monitor, so Bogle kept his place on the field without a card.
Former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann said the Leeds defender was “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, fewer than nine minutes of the first half remained, and Tottenham’s momentum and composure were fading fast. Roberto De Zerbi’s side never seemed to recover. After the break, Leeds outworked and outplayed them.
Even so, De Zerbi refused to blame the referee’s decision for his side’s failings. “We deserved to lose the game in the second half and didn’t play like we can,” he told TNT Sports. “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.”
Tottenham’s loss was their first Premier League defeat since September.
Confidence in the Officials
When the public address system at Elland Road announced a VAR check, it seemed only a matter of time before Bogle would be shown a red card. The defender had been full-blooded in his pursuit of the ball, and he appeared certain to follow Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace, who was sent off for a similar challenge on Micky van de Ven against Spurs the previous weekend.
Brooks never made his way to the pitch-side monitor. The entire four-minute review took place among those in 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 with no punishment.
“I have big confidence in the referee. Nothing changes if he goes to the monitor,” De Zerbi 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 boiled over. Defender Pedro Porro and De Zerbi himself were booked at the same time after a challenge by the Spanish defender.
De Zerbi called the decision to caution Porro “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?
Bogle was very lucky to escape even a booking. He positioned 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 harmless, which is likely why Brooks chose not to show a card after giving the foul. Slow-motion replays, however, showed that the contact was ugly, with a twisting of the ankle.
That could easily have prompted VAR Tony Harrington to send Brooks to the pitch-side monitor for an on-field review for a red card. Harrington spent far too long on the replays, apparently believing he had more time while Tel received treatment. Longer reviews, however, tend to create doubts about the 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 earns a yellow card, but the VAR cannot intervene to advise that Bogle should be booked.
Harrington’s phrase “stepping into the challenge” matters. It does not mean a player cannot be sent off, but such challenges come with less force, making a VAR review for a red card far less likely.
Comparison With Mateta
Some argue that Mateta, who was booked on the field, made less forceful contact on Van de Ven’s ankle. Yet the nature of the challenge is the crucial difference. Mateta lunged and stretched in with his studs leading, a type of tackle generally considered to carry more force and greater potential danger.
Even though Bogle was not really making a challenge, the nature of the contact means many fans and observers may feel a VAR review for a red card was warranted.