‘No point’ – Mourinho opens up on Everton penalty and Spurs defending

Jose Mourinho has admitted that he did not expect VAR to overturn Michael Oliver’s decision as soon as he pointed to the spot after a coming together between Sergio Reguilon and James Rodriguez last night.

Neither side created too many clear cut chances in the opening stages of the game but Harry Kane pounced on a cross which took a nick off Michael Keane to produce a clinical finish past his England teammate Jordan Pickford just before the half-hour mark.

However, the lead only lasted four minutes as a clumsy challenge by Reguilon on Rodriguez saw the home side being awarded a spot-kick which former Spurs star Gylfi Sigurdsson converted with ease.

Sigurdsson then gave the Toffees the lead just past the hour mark, with Seamus Coleman picking out the Icelander inside the box after some smart interplay by Everton down their right side.

It was once again left to Kane to drag Spurs back into the contest as the England captain capitalised on a defensive mistake to thump home the second from close range.

When asked if he was disappointed with the manner of the two goals his side conceded, Mourinho told Football.London: “I cannot share your view. It was a penalty.

“There is no point. The second goal, in spite of being the opposite side of my bench, maybe I’m wrong, but I have the feeling that a fresh Coleman got behind our wingback and made the cross and from midfield appeared and finished. That is the view from the bench.”

Speaking about the lack of protest from the Spurs players after Oliver awarded the penalty, the Tottenham boss said: “I think not to protest should be something to praise and not something to consider a negative thing.

“At least in what we have in every meeting with the football authorities, before matches when captain and one coach, they say don’t surround the referee. Leave the referee alone, let him make the decision.

“On top of that, I think we all start having a feeling of what a VAR is. I think it is very difficult for VAR to go against a referee decision. I believe they don’t like to expose each other.

“I believe the maximum they like to tell the referee come on, come and have a look so I don’t think they like to go against. So when Mr Oliver went with such a high speed to the penalty spot I don’t think there is any point in campaigning too much.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Whether one feels Oliver’s decision was harsh or completely justified, the reality is that Reguilon made a silly decision to try pinching the ball from the wrong side and gave the referee a decision to make.

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