Tottenham vs Newcastle United ref watch: Three decisions Anthony Taylor bottled in North London
Anthony Taylor had some contentious decisions to unravel as Tottenham fell to defeat against Newcastle United on Tuesday.
Thomas Frank is under huge pressure, as Spurs slipped to 16th in the Premier League table on 10 February, with Leeds United claiming a comeback draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
There was also a lot being made about Eddie Howe‘s future ahead of the game, but he relieved some of that pressure with a win on the road in North London.
Things went from bad to worse as Wilson Odobert picked up a new injury, and while supporters can do very little to pin the loss on the referee, there were some questionable decisions from Taylor.
Conor Gallagher and Jacob Ramsey escape lightly early on
Taylor was clearly keen to keep his cards in his pocket in the opening 45 minutes, albeit there was very little he could do when Pape Sarr threw himself to the floor in an act of simulation.
Both Conor Gallagher and Jacob Ramsey deserved to be cautioned during the first half, both launching into challenges that they were never going to win, but came out the other side unpunished.
It is understandable for referees not to overreact in the Premier League, but these were simple decisions in North London.
Anthony Taylor also goes too easy on Radu Dragusin
Radu Dragusin has been out for a while at Tottenham, so it would be understandable if he were rusty in defence, but that is no excuse for the referee not dishing out a simple caution.
In the closing stages of the first half, Harvey Barnes was threatening to break away, only for the Romanian international to give him a huge shove in the back, with a free-kick being awarded.
Once again, it should have been a simple decision for Taylor, but he kept his cards in his pocket.
Djed Spence could have seen red in North London
Just after the hour mark, Djed Spence launched into a challenge on Anthony Elanga, picking up a yellow card, and deservedly so.
However, as replays were shown of the challenge, the England international caught his opponent extremely high on the ankle, leaving some surprised that VAR had not intervened.
Some may believe that it would have been harsh, but worse has been given this season.