Mourinho reacts to Capoue challenges, VAR, and goal line technology

Tottenham Hotspur may have only picked up a point away to Watford in the 0-0 draw today, but some fans may count themselves unlucky.

Spurs were millimetres from winning the game in injury time when Erik Lamela poked the ball towards the back of the net while lying on the ground.

It deflected into the far corner, wrong-footing Ben Foster, before a Watford defender booted it clear. It was then revealed just how close the margins were.

Not only this, but a number of other decisions went against Spurs in the match, including a nasty tackle from Etienne Capoue on Japhet Tanganga.

The former Spurs man appeared to bring his studs down on the defender’s knee, but VAR deemed there to be nothing wrong. Capoue was then booked for a poor challenge on Lo Celso, which brought a yellow card.

There were also appeals in the first half for a handball in the box which would have resulted in a Spurs penalty, but that too was waved away by VAR.

Mourinho had this to say (Football London): “I prefer not to answer. To speak about the VAR and the referee, Mr Oliver and Mr Kevin Friend, I go in one direction that I don’t want to go. I have to start from minute one and not just from that incident and but that incident and that incident, Capoue on Lo Celso. I have to talk about a lot of things and I prefer not to.

“Good game, they fought hard for their point and we fought for more, but the technology that I love and respect in the game, the goal line technology, never makes a mistake. By one centimetre, maybe one millimetre, we didn’t win but full respect to the goal line technology.

“I got used to, from the beginning, to respect it and I don’t even have emotion because I wait for goal or not goal and carry on. So just unlucky there, but that’s what it is.”

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