Ange Postecoglou reacts to VAR calls as Spurs earn two red cards in defeat to Chelsea

Lengthy VAR calls broke up play as Tottenham suffered their first Premier League loss of the season

(EPA)

Tottenham manager, Ange Postecoglou, says he ‘does not like’ the amount of time it takes for VAR to come to their decisions in the Premier League as his team’s clash with Chelsea was disrupted several times over contentious issues.

Chelsea eventually triumphed 4-1 in the contest in north London as Spurs were shown two red cards, the first coming after a review by the video referee in which Cristian Romero was dismissed.

There were also three goals disallowed in the game and multiple checks for serious foul play which accumulated to 21 minutes of added time across both halves.

“I don’t like it, it is the way the game is going.” Postecoglou told BBC Sport when asked about the VAR calls. “Some of it is self inflicted because if we come out every week complaining about decision that is what will happen, every decision gets forensically checked and we will be sitting around for a long time in every game trying to figure out what is going on.

“I don’t like it but I am probably in the wilderness with that because I keep getting told that’s where we want to go. I am too old school, I’ll respect the referee’s decision right or wrong. But it is the way the game is going.”

When giving a post-match interview to Sky Sports the Spurs boss added: “There will be a forensic study of every decision out there, I think that is the way the game is going and I don’t like it. If you look at all that standing around we did today, maybe people enjoy that sort of thing but I’d rather see us playing football.”

Postecoglou also praised his team for their efforts but noted that the two red cards swung the momentum in Chelsea’s favour.

He said: “Disappointed by the result but really proud of the players, they gave everything and that is the positive we will take. We were very close to getting an equaliser a couple of times and it shows their spirit.

“The red card affected the game.You have to accept the referee’s decision, that is how I grew up.

“This constant erosion of the referee’s authority is where the game is going to get - they are not going to have any authority. We are going to be under the control of someone with a tv screen a few miles away.

“The decision is the decision. In 26 years I have had plenty of bad decisions, I have had plenty fall in my favour. It is what it is.”

The defeat is Tottenham’s first in the top-flight this season and they remain a point behind league leaders Manchester City in second place.