1) Apology small comfort for Brighton
There was no stadium VAR delay on Saturday to check whether Kaoru Mitoma had been fouled by Pierre-Emile Højbjerg. Why did neither Stuart Attwell nor Stockley Park see it as a penalty? To be generous, perhaps Mitoma hit the ground a little easily but the incident became a lighting rod for Brighton fans to argue that officialdom (rather than failing to close down Harry Kane for Tottenham’s winner) was the reason for defeat. Sixth place might have become fifth. When Howard Webb, on Sunday, apologised to Brighton on behalf of PGMOL, there was vindication but no extra points on offer. “I think it was clear, very clear,” said Roberto De Zerbi, who had enjoyed the benefit of a dressing-room TV replay of the Mitoma incident, already red-carded for the touchline rumble that followed VAR ruling out Danny Welbeck’s goal. Soon enough, Kane seized on Brighton’s lack of concentration. “The smart people can adapt different habits,” admitted De Zerbi, asked about being red-carded for a second time. His excellent team are surely better off with a manager on the sidelines than not, as will be the case for next week’s FA Cup semi-final with Manchester United. John Brewin
