Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur can consider themselves fortunate not to have had their goal against Watford overturned.
Spurs were chasing an equaliser in the 86th minute when they had a stroke of luck after Kiko Femenia got in the way of Ben Foster, who spilled the ball, allowing Dele to control it and finish from a tight angle.
Players are not allowed to touch the ball with their arms before scoring – even accidentally – under new laws. However, a VAR review of the goal decided that the ball had made contract with the Spurs midfielder’s shoulder.
Spurs fans would have feared the worst when the big screens inside the stadium displayed a ‘no goal’ message, only for referee Chris Kavanagh to eventually confirm that the goal stood.
Keown disagreed with where the ball had touched and instead claimed that it had made contact with Dele’s arm.
Speaking on BBC Football Focus, Keown said: “I wouldn’t have argued with that. I believe Dele Alli handles it. He puts his arm out and plays it into a player.
“But the goal stands, allegedly. I find that remarkable.”
Dele’s goal ensured that Mauricio Pochettino’s side avoided a 15th defeat in their last 30 games in all competitions.
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