Only in the Premier League can a team go from defeating Manchester City at the Etihad to settling for a draw at home against Fulham. That team, of course, is Tottenham. The result keeps Spurs within striking distance of the top four, trailing Brighton by three points and sitting five behind Chelsea and Arsenal. Things took a more serious turn as the Premier League issued a statement regarding Tom Cairney’s late red card against Spurs. The Fulham midfielder had earlier scored a stunning equaliser before being sent off in the dying moments of the match.
Tottenham had worked their way into a strong position to move up to sixth after Brennan Johnson’s opener in North London. However, Cairney’s stunning equaliser brought Fulham level with 25 minutes remaining. Cairney’s heroics quickly turned to frustration, though, as VAR officials Craig Pawson and Ian Hussin recommended that referee Darren Bond reassess his decision to issue just a yellow card. The Premier League Match Centre’s X account later clarified the reasoning behind the review process.
Horror tackle made on Kulusevski
The Premier League deemed Tom Cairney’s tackle on Dejan Kulusevski as ‘serious foul play’ after Tottenham were granted a late opportunity to secure a winner against Fulham on Sunday. Although initially shown a yellow card by referee Darren Bond, Cairney was sent off after a VAR review.
His challenge, a late attempt to win the ball, saw Cairney’s studs rake down Kulusevski’s right Achilles, forcing the Tottenham winger to be substituted moments later. Timo Werner replaced Kulusevski, but was unable to influence the match as it ended in a draw.
The Premier League match centre shed light on the matter issuing statement in their x account,
“The referee’s call of yellow card for the challenge by Cairney on Kulusevski is checked by VAR, who recommended an on-field for serious foul play,” it says. “The referee then issued a red card to Cairney.”
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Tottenham failed to capitalise on having an extra man in the final 10 minutes. They will look to bounce back against Bournemouth on Thursday night after missing the chance to build on their win over Manchester City last weekend. Spurs must reassess their approach and will depend on Dominic Solanke’s return as they prepare to face his former team next.