Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo was adamant that Tottenham midfielder James Maddison should have been sent off on Sunday for a “clear punch” on Ryan Yates.
Maddison and Yates clashed multiple times during the game. Yates was shown a yellow card in the 14th minute after fouling Maddison three times in the early stages.
The Spurs star was then lucky to avoid a card late in the first half after he appeared to dig his right hand into the stomach of Yates.
The off-the-ball incident was not seen by referee Simon Hooper but Espirito Santo believes that the video assistant should have intervened and that a red card should have been issued.
“I was surprised that the VAR didn’t see,” Espirito Santo told bbc sport”I think Maddison lost a bit of composure and there’s a clear punch in the stomach of Yates.
Espirito Santo added: “I saw it. What I saw was clear. I was surprised they [the VAR officials] took their time and, for sure, spoke with Simon and told him what they saw. Clearly it was not the same as what we saw.
Roy Keane believes the correct decision was made to not send off James Maddison, even if he did punch Nottingham Forest captain Ryan Yates.
Tottenham’s win over Forest was briefly halted in the first half when Yates went down following a collision with Maddison.
VAR reviewed the incident which saw Maddison punch Yates in the stomach, but matters were brought to an end by referee Simon Hooper giving both players a talking to.
Much to the outrage of Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo, Maddison wasn’t disciplined any further with the Portuguese insisting the England international should’ve seen red.
Nuno told talkSPORT: “I think there are two moments in the first half that can change the game without making that as an excuse.
He added: “I saw it, that’s why I’m surprised VAR didn’t see it the same way and didn’t speak with Simon to tell him, ‘this is what we saw’.
“I think in that moment Maddison loses his composure, reacts and punches him in the stomach without the ball.”
But roy keane, who used to play for Forest, took a dim view towards Yates’ actions with the 26-year-old seen gesturing for VAR to look at the incident.
Asked if he felt Maddison should’ve received a red card, Keane said: “No, not really.
“Yates is a nice lad but this type of behaviour [protesting], he does a lot of this. I don’t like the look of it. He’s asking the officials to look at VAR.
“There’s no need for him to do that. He’s a tough boy, he likes to give it out, if you’re going to give it out you’ve got to take it and I think it’s a big dramatic the way he goes down.
“Get on with the game, toughen up a little bit.”
The incident happened with the game locked at 1-1 after Chris Wood’s strike cancelled out Spurs’ lead from a Murillo own goal.
Wood then missed a huge chance to give Forest the lead and the away side would rue that as a piledriver by Micky van de Ven restored Spurs’ lead before Pedro Porro sealed a 3-1 win.
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