Pundit says Spurs star was lucky to escape red card despite what referees say
Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha believes that Guglielmo Vicario should have been sent off for handling the ball outside the box against Brentford.
Vicario momentarily forgot the handball rule
Vicario was at the centre of a controversial incident in the second half on Saturday, with the Tottenham man rushing out of his line to intercept the ball.
However, his momentum carried him outside the box and the Spurs goalkeeper appeared to touch the ball again outside the area to take it away from the defender.
Referee Jonathan Brook did not blow for handball while VAR did not intervene, with reports later explaining that the technology could not be used since the incident was not considered a clear and obvious error leading to a red card (The Sun).
Brentford were not happy at the time, with defender Kristoffer Ajer and boss Thomas Frank booked for their complaints to the referee.
Should Vicario have seen red?
Onuoha was at a loss as to why VAR did not intervene as the former Man City man suggested that it was a red card-worthy incident.
The pundit said (via The Mirror): “Earlier Guglielmo Vicario comes out of his area and makes three attempts at touching the ball.
“From the angle we see the third touch, if there was another angle of it, I think they would say that it came outside the box, so that would be a red card. It is strange that the VAR has missed that, very strange, because that is a big moment in the game.”
Despite Onuoha’s thoughts, former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has already explained that the incident was ‘100 per cent not a red card’ because it did not deny an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
Spurs Web Opinion
There is no doubt that it was handball but there was no way the referee was going to give a red, given how far away from goal it was and the number of defenders back covering.
It would have been a yellow card and a free-kick outside the box. Hardly a game-changing situation.
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