Referee defends Spurs goal decision v Arsenal

The referee at the center of Sunday’s north London derby ‘controversy’ has publicly explained why Tottenham’s goal against Arsenal was ruled out, remaining steadfast in his decision.

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Peter Bankes defended his decision to reject Tottenham Hotspur striker Randal Kolo Muani goal against Arsenalinsisting the on-field call during Sunday’s north London derby was correct after re-examining the incident.

The moment arrived in the second half with Arsenal leading 2-1, before securing a 4-1 victory, and quickly became one of the main talking points of the match after some pundits suggested Gabriel had “exaggerated the contact”.

Speaking on Match Officials Mic’d Up, Bankes explained why he immediately considered the challenge a foul.

“I see two hands of the Tottenham player behind the back of the Arsenal player and that is going to be my main focus,” he said. “Once you see two hands in play live, it looks like a push, a clear push.

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“I delayed the whistle so the game could continue and then obviously gave my final decision once the ball had gone into the goal and that allows the VAR to potentially check if I’ve misread something or it doesn’t look quite right.

“But on the field it seemed like a very, very clear attack.”

VAR reviewed the incident and upheld the referee’s initial decision, with Bankes confirming he remained satisfied after subsequently watching replays.

“Obviously different speeds can make things look different. In slow motion it can be different than what you see live,” he added.

“I took one look at it and was more than happy that the two hands behind the back had enough impact and constituted an infraction.

“I understand there will be mixed opinions on this, but for me I’m still comfortable it’s enough for a free kick.”