Tottenham Hotspur suffered a damaging 4-1 defeat at home against Arsenal as they continue to be drawn into a relegation dogfight in the Premier League.
After winning the reverse fixture by the same scoreline in November, the Gunners secured bragging rights once again as Igor Tudor got a harsh first taste of coaching in England.
Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze scored two goals apiece for Arsenal, while Randal Kolo Muani’s first-half strike turned out to be a mere consolation.
However, there was a moment in the second half that generated a lot of chatter on social media involving Kolo Muani.
With Tottenham trailing by just one goal at the time, the Frenchman had the ball in the back of the net but the goal was chalked off for a foul on Gabriel Magalhaes.
And now, Gary Neville has given his verdict on whether the home side were on the wrong end of a poor refereeing decision.
Neville feels Kolo Muani fouled Gabriel
The scores were level at the interval as Eze’s opener was cancelled out by a great goal from Kolo Muani, who capitalised on an error from Declan Rice to restore parity for his side.
However, minutes into the second half, Gyokeres gave Arsenal the lead with a brilliant touch and finish from just outside the penalty area.
Tottenham were still very much in the game at the time and thought they drew level for the second time on the night when Kolo Muani slammed the ball home from close range.
However, the goal was quickly ruled out as he was adjudged to have pushed Gabriel, who fell to the floor comically after making the most of the challenge.
And speaking on Sky Sports, Neville feels the right decision was made by the referee, although it was a bit of a soft one.
He said via BBC, “That was a foul. He was too obvious, Kolo Muani. Kolo Muani gives Gabriel a nudge. It was clear from here.
“It’s soft from Gabriel, we’ve seen it before but it’s two hands on the back.”
Tottenham well beaten on the night
It was another grim outing for the home side, who remain the only winless side in the Premier League in 2026.
They have been ravaged by injuries in recent weeks, but it goes without saying that they were well beaten on the night.
Tottenham are four points above the relegation zone, but in recent weeks, West Ham United have fared a lot better, while Nottingham Forest produced a spirited showing under new boss Vitor Pereira despite losing to Liverpool.
Read More: The ‘personal sacrifice’ Darwin Nunez is willing to make amid transfer interest from Tottenham
No Spurs fan wants to hear this, but with games against Fulham, Crystal Palace and Liverpool on the horizon, Tudor needs to find a way to motivate his players, as relegation is looking like a serious possibility for the club.
