Tottenham star got into a fight with jarred after their loss to Man city
Tottenham Hotspur’s recent resurgence came to an abrupt halt with a narrow 1-0 defeat at home to Manchester City, ending their run of positive results. Despite showing more attacking intent in the second half, Spurs were ultimately undone by Erling Haaland’s early strike, which proved to be the decisive goal of the match.
The result sees Tottenham slip to 13th place in the Premier League table, leaving them languishing in the bottom half and struggling to find consistency under Ange Postecoglou. Although the performance was spirited, their lack of clinical finishing once again proved costly.
Missed Opportunities Cost Spurs
Tottenham will feel they had enough chances to salvage a point, particularly in the closing stages. The best opportunity fell to Pape Matar Sarr deep into stoppage time, but the midfielder could only head his effort over the bar from close range—leaving fans and players alike frustrated.
Earlier in the second half, young forward Wilson Odobert, making his first appearance since returning from injury, spurned a golden chance to draw Spurs level, failing to beat Ederson with a clear sight of goal. These missed opportunities compounded Tottenham’s woes as they struggled to break down City’s resolute defence.
Son’s Flashpoint Grabs Attention
However, the game’s biggest talking point came after the final whistle when Spurs captain Heung-min Son became embroiled in a heated confrontation with referee Jarred Gillett.
The flashpoint stemmed from a dramatic moment in stoppage time when Erling Haaland thought he had doubled City’s lead, only for VAR to rule out the goal for handball following a lengthy review. The decision ultimately favoured Spurs, but the extended delay appeared to frustrate the Tottenham players—who perhaps expected more time to be added on.
As soon as Gillett blew the final whistle, Son led a group of Spurs players in protesting to the referee, with the South Korean forward particularly animated. While Son avoided an immediate booking, former Premier League referee Keith Hackett has suggested the incident could yet be included in the referee’s match report—leaving the door open for possible retrospective action from the FA.
Hackett Defends Referee, Questions Son’s Reaction
Hackett, speaking to Tottenham News, praised Gillett’s overall performance but questioned why Son felt the need to protest so aggressively.
“Jarred Gillett has delivered two very good performances in recent days. His movement and decision-making were excellent,” Hackett said.
“The disallowed goal was the right decision following a handball. The Spurs players should look at themselves rather than the referee. I hope Gillett includes Son’s behaviour in his report—he was very lucky to escape without a yellow card.”
Hackett further emphasised that referees have full authority over timekeeping under Law 5 of the game, meaning any complaints about the length of stoppage time were unlikely to hold merit.
“I feel Son was clutching at straws with his protests. If anything, Gillett should have booked him to reassert his authority.”
Potential FA Action Looms
Whether the FA will take retrospective action against Son remains to be seen. If Gillett does report the incident, the Spurs captain could face a fine or formal warning—a blow to the club’s talisman at a time when they need his leadership more than ever.
For Tottenham, the focus must now shift back to addressing their finishing woes. With just one win in their last five league games, the pressure is mounting on Postecoglou to spark a turnaround and steer Spurs away from the bottom half of the table.
Despite the controversy, the reality is that Tottenham’s profligacy in front of goal was the real cause of their defeat—something they must rectify quickly if they are to salvage their season.
