Angry Tottenham caretaker boss Ryan Mason is adamant Diogo Jota should not have been on the pitch to score his dramatic late winner for Liverpool.
Substitute Jota netted in the fourth minute of injury time to earn the Reds a 4-3 Premier League win at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, just seconds after Richarlison had completed a Tottenham comeback from 3-0 down.
The additional period was required after Oliver Skipp required lengthy treatment to a gash to his head before being replaced after being caught by a high boot from Jota that was punished by only a yellow card from referee Paul Tierney.
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In the first half, Skipp had been fortunate to escape censure after an ugly challenge on Luis Diaz.
But an outraged Mason has demanded the officials and VAR David Coote outline why they didn’t see fit to send off Jota.
“I would like an explanation and a reason why it wasn’t,” he said. “I can understand referees on the pitch missing it. My feeling at the minute was an instant red card because when your foot is five-and-a-half foot off the ground and make contact and there is a gash, it ticks all the boxes.
“We want the VAR to help the official on the pitch at that moment, but an experienced referee and VAR haven’t given it.
“A player that shouldn’t be on the pitch decided the game. I felt like we didn’t get that decision, it was a big decision, a crucial decision and one you can’t really miss.
“I find it hard and impossible to really understand why. We come here and create so many chances. On another day we win it with ease.”
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