Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has given his thoughts on Paul Tierney's officiating during Tottenham Hotspur's 3-0 win against Arsenal.
Harry Kane broke the deadlock from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute after Cedric Soares was adjudged to have pushed Son Heung-min in the box. However, Clattenburg has admitted that he wouldn't have pointed to the spot, claiming that it is rarely given in the English top-flight.
Writing for The Daily Mail, he said: "This was a defining decision in a match with so much riding on the result and I'm not sure I would have given this. Technically, Paul Tierney wasn't wrong.
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"We were shown a replay of what the referee could see from behind and it looked like a nudge in the back from Cedric Soares on Son Heung-min. But if we're going to give this as a penalty, I could find plenty of other examples when the same 'foul' has occurred in the box in other games.
"The inconsistency is frustrating because when this happens next week in another Premier League game, will it be given? Maybe. Maybe not. Unfortunately for Arsenal, Tierney considered it a clear foul and Harry Kane said thank you very much."
Arsenal centre-back Rob Holding was sent off just 11 minutes after Kane's opener, receiving a second yellow card after pushing Son in transition, a decision that Clattenburg backed. "Holding had already been fouling Son prior to receiving his first yellow, almost targeting the Spurs forward in a running battle", the former referee added.
"Although referees allow a degree of feistiness in these derbies, Tierney finally lost patience with Holding and booked him for his third foul on Son, this time for pulling back his opponent. Given he was already on a yellow, it was therefore stupid of Holding to block Son's run using an elevated arm.
"Antonio Conte's teams love making it so that the referee has decisions to make. Holding fell for it hook, line and sinker, and his naivety sank Arsenal."
