Micky van de Ven‘s late challenge on Georges Mikautadze was a clear-cut example of a challenge that Spurs ought not have got themselves involved in. The Villarreal bench and the 200-odd fans in the stadium were baying for a red card.
Tottenham progressed in the Champions League initial phase last night with a performance that started brightly enough but slowly descended into a misfiring defensive whack-a-mole.
In the closing 20 minutes of the second half, Thomas Frank’s men lost their composure, and it felt as if the nerves had kicked in.
Panic stations for Spurs! 🚨
Tottenham survive a late VAR scare, as van de Ven’s challenge was judged to be outside the penalty area 👀 pic.twitter.com/yxybrMka0y
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) September 16, 2025
Former PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) chief Keith Hackett criticised the decision, stating that VAR should have intervened for an on-field review, as the foul warranted a sending off. He noted:
“I can only imagine that the match official was of the opinion that the attacker’s probability to control the ball and the position of the covering defender left him in doubt… Frankly, VAR should have intervened.”
Villarreal manager Marcelino echoed this, calling it one of “two really clear actions” where Tottenham players (including Xavi Simons earlier) escaped punishment.
Dimitar Berbatov, a former Tottenham striker, agreed live on Amazon Prime:
“I think Spurs were lucky with this one, to escape with nothing.” The incident could have given Villarreal a numerical advantage and a penalty (if deemed inside the box), potentially changing the game’s outcome.”
Wayne Rooney, another pundit on Amazon Prime, defended the call:
‘I think it’s a yellow card and the right decision was made. The ball is going away, and the goalkeeper is in a good position. I think if the referee gives a red, it doesn’t get overturned.’
“I think it’s a yellow card and the right decision was made.”
The foul occurred just outside the box, and Mikautadze’s control of the ball was not fully assured, with the ball bouncing awkwardly.
Spurs need to take control of opponents such as Villarreal.
