“What a ridiculous, 20 year old idea… A clear red card”.
Tottenham came from behind to lose 1-4 at home to Chelsea in the 11th round of the 2023-2024 Premier League at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England on Sunday (July 7).
Tottenham looked to be on a roll when Dejan Kulusebski opened the scoring in the sixth minute of the first half. However, a direct red card for Christian Romero in the 33rd minute and a second booking for Destiny Udoh in the 10th minute of the second half practically sealed the deal.
In the end, Spurs conceded three second-half goals to Nicola Jackson. With the loss, Spurs suffered their first defeat of the season and failed to regain the league lead, remaining in second place (26 points). One point behind first-place Manchester City (27 points).
Despite the loss, Tottenham had an explosive offense on the day.
In the 27th minute, Romero cleared the ball out of the box and roughly stepped on Enzo Fernandez’s ankle. After an on-field review, referee Michael Oliver awarded a penalty kick and a direct dismissal.
Football England awarded Romero a one-star rating, saying: “Romero, who was lucky enough to stay on after taking out his opponent early in the game, didn’t appreciate his good fortune and was shown a red card for his challenge on Fernandes. It was reckless.”
The London Evening Standard added: “Romero lost his cool. He kicked Colwill and escaped a card, then studded Fernandez, eventually earning a red card and conceding a penalty.” The London Evening Standard gave it a 2. 토토사이트
Sky Sports in the U.K. gave Romero the lowest rating of both teams with a 4.
Former Manchester United legend Gary Neville told Sky Sports: “Romero was a threat to the opposition. It’s a clear penalty. I don’t understand why he made that crazy challenge. I’m sure Romero knows what he did.”
Former Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher added: “It was a ridiculous foul. There was no need for that challenge inside the penalty box. Maybe 20 years ago you could get away with it, but those days are gone. It was a clear red card.”
Romero will be suspended for the next three games because he was sent off for a violent foul. It’s a huge blow to a crucial run of fixtures against Wolverhampton, Aston Villa and Manchester City.
After a Robert Lewandowski opener, Spurs conceded the next four goals, including a hat trick from Nikola Jackson, to lose 1-4, their first defeat in their opening 11 games. Worse, Romero’s sending off left Spurs with a gaping hole in their defense.