EPL

'I don't celebrate goals any more' - Postecoglou bemoans VAR after Arsenal defeat

By Sports Desk April 28, 2024

Ange Postecoglou admitted "I don't celebrate goals any more" after VAR denied Tottenham during their north London derby defeat by Arsenal.

Spurs were beaten 3-2 by their rivals, who kept their Premier League title challenge on track, despite a late rally having trailed 3-0 at half-time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Trailing 1-0 to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's own-goal, the hosts thought they had equalised when Micky van de Ven slotted past David Raya, However, the decision to award the goal was overturned following a VAR review with the defender adjudged to be offside.

Arsenal took advantage of their let-off with Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz increasing their lead, while second-half strikes from Cristiano Romero and Heung-Min Son proved academic for Tottenham.

"Games aren’t refereed in the stadium any more," Postecoglou told reporters during his post-match press conference. "I don’t celebrate goals any more.

"You've got to wait for somebody down the road. It’s a shame, I don’t like it, but I’ve got to accept it."

The Spurs boss was pleased with his side's response after the break, and hopes his players will benefit from the disappointment of losing the derby.

"It's a big day for our club and our fans, and we didn't get the outcome we wanted, so it's obviously very disappointing," he added on SpursTalk.

"You can go out in the second half and accept your fate that it's not your day, but we had to show some resilience and fight - just for our supporters more than anything else. To be fair to the lads, they did that.

"We just lacked some focus today in key moments, particularly in the first half. Sometimes, you've got to feel the pain of it to learn that lesson properly."

Related items

  • Southgate: Man United speculation 'a complete irrelevance' Southgate: Man United speculation 'a complete irrelevance'

    Gareth Southgate says speculation linking him with the Manchester United job is "a complete irrelevance" as his entire focus is on England's Euro 2024 campaign.

    The England manager has been tipped as a contender to succeed Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford should United part ways with the Dutchman at the end of the season.

    Southgate is due to be out of contract later this year, with suggestions that the upcoming European Championship finals will be his last tournament as Three Lions chief.

    However, amid the talk over where he could end up later this year, the 53-year-old is not looking beyond the Euros.

    "I've got one thing to focus on, and that's having as successful a tournament with England as possible," he told ITV News.

    "Everything else outside of that is a complete irrelevance to me."

    Asked specifically about the United links in a separate interview with BBC Sport, Southgate said: "There will always be speculation about managers.

    "If you lose a couple of games, you're in trouble - you win a couple of games and it is a different agenda.

    "But for me, [Euro 2024] is a brilliant opportunity. We're looking forward to the tournament. My focus is on how do we go a step further than we went in the last Euros."

    Southgate has been England boss since 2016 and previously hinted he contemplated stepping down after the World Cup quarter-final loss to France in December 2022.

    Despite the fact his deal expires in the next six months, Southgate insists that is not a concern ahead of the Euros in Germany.

    "It's not an issue and never has been," Southgate said. "I have to deliver a successful tournament for England and there's enough work involved in that.

    "I think everybody would expect that's where my focus should be."

  • Iraola signs 12-month contract extension with Bournemouth Iraola signs 12-month contract extension with Bournemouth

    Andoni Iraola has committed his future to Bournemouth until 2026 by penning a one-year contract extension with the club, having enjoyed an excellent first season on the south coast.

    Iraola left Rayo Vallecano to join Bournemouth after they parted company with Gary O'Neil last year, and after a difficult start to his tenure, he has overseen a tremendous campaign. 

    Bournemouth failed to win any of their first nine league games under Iraola before beating Burnley in late October. 

    Since that victory, only the current top four of Arsenal (65), Manchester City (64), Liverpool (58) and Aston Villa (48) have bettered the Cherries' tally of 45 points.

    Their overall total of 48 for this campaign, meanwhile, is a new top-flight club record.

    Though they were beaten 2-1 by Brentford on Saturday, they could still secure a top-half finish when they visit Chelsea for their final game on Sunday, should other results go their way.

    Last week, Iraola was rewarded for his fine work with a nomination for the Premier League Manager of the Season award, alongside Mikel Arteta, Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Unai Emery.

    On Monday, the club confirmed he had also penned a one-year extension to the deal he agreed last June, which was set to expire at the end of 2024-25.

    "I'm very happy to sign the contract. For me, it is a matter of renewing the confidence from both sides," Iraola told the club's website.

    "We have had a good experience with our first season together in the Premier League, and I am happy that both sides want to continue the relationship further."

  • Allegri says Juventus future will become clear in next two weeks Allegri says Juventus future will become clear in next two weeks

    Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said questions regarding his future will be resolved in the next couple of weeks after the Bianconeri's slump continued with Sunday's 1-1 draw with Salernitana.

    Juve looked set for a humiliating Serie A loss at home to Stefano Colantuono's already-relegated side, only for Adrien Rabiot to equalise in stoppage time.

    It was a fifth straight league draw for Allegri's side, who have slipped to fourth in Serie A, seven points behind second-placed Milan and level with Bologna in third.

    Juve were neck-and-neck with recently crowned Scudetto winners Inter at the turn of the year, and their dismal end to the season has seen Allegri's position called into question.

    Asked about his future on Sunday, Allegri said: "Just be patient a little bit longer, in 10 to 15 days you'll know what will happen next year. 

    "Anyone who has played football knows that even the great teams can experience a moment of difficulty when the games become tough. We will certainly have to grow."

    Wednesday's Coppa Italia final against in-form Atalanta presents an opportunity for redemption.

    "The final against a team like Atalanta that has grown a lot will certainly be balanced," Allegri said. "It's a one-off game and we will have to try to make as few mistakes as possible.

    Regarding Sunday's match, the 56-year-old said the performance was not satisfactory but stressed the importance of avoiding defeat.

    "We started reasonably well, then made a mistake in our decision-making. We became disjointed and we didn't hold our positions," he said.

    "You can't lose a match like that, otherwise you risk never picking yourselves back up again."

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.