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7 months ago
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Nuno Espirito Santo was left stunned after VAR failed to punish James Maddison after he appeared to punch Ryan Yates during Tottenham's 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest.
In the final minute of the first-half, Yates fell to the ground after jostling with Maddison inside Tottenham's penalty box.
Yates made a signal suggesting VAR should take a look at the incident, with a replay showing Maddison appearing to punch the Forest player in the stomach.
Much to the dismay of the Nottingham Forest manager, VAR looked at the incident but Maddison escaped punishment.
After the match, Santo didn't hold his opinion back when a reporter said that it 'looked like Maddison punched Yates'.
Nuno Espirito Santo was unhappy that VAR didn't review an incident during Nottingham Forest's defeat to Tottenham involving James Maddison and his midfielder Ryan Yates
The Tottenham star appeared to punch Yates in the stomach towards the end of the first-half
Yates went down after the punch and made a signal that VAR should review the incident
Nuno was unhappy that the situation was solved with referee Simon Hooper having a 'nice chat' with Yates and Maddison - with no punishment for the Tottenham playmaker
'It doesn't look he punched him - he punched him,' said the Forest manager.
Forest's Portuguese boss added that Maddison 'lost his composure' and was surprised that the issue was only solved by Hooper with 'a nice chat'.
He added: 'I saw the image. I was surprised that VAR didn’t tell Simon to review it better because honestly, with all my respect, Maddison loses his composure and it’s a punch in the stomach of Yates.
'It should have been reviewed and [led to] a different decision, not to chat with the players and it looks like nothing happens.
'We did not see it the same way. We didn’t agree, me and VAR. It’s clear for me, I think it’s a red card. I’m surprised Simon solved it with a nice chat.'
Roy Keane and Jamie Redknapp criticised Yates for going down too easily when addressing the incident on Sky Sports.
Redknapp said: 'It's not a lot. Yates is like that, he tries to get into players' faces, a bit like Gascoigne and Vinnie Jones many years ago.'
Keane, who previously worked with Yates at Forest, stated that the 26-year-old went down too easily.
"Get on with the game, toughen up a little bit" 😤
Roy Keane thinks Yates was 'dramatic' the way he went down in the clash with Maddison... pic.twitter.com/5TAuytS0hQ
Roy Keane and Jamie Redknapp appeared to suggest that Yates went down too easily
Nottingham Forest's defeat leaves them just outside of the relegation zone due to their superior goal difference over Luton
He said: 'I worked with Yates at Forest, really nice kid, but every week somebody touches him he goes down. He goes down far too easily. For such a decent lad he needs to cut that out of his game.'
One Forest supporter was especially livid at the fact that Maddison wasn't dismissed.
They wrote: 'Can someone PLEASE tell me what on earth James Maddison is still doing on the pitch???? He has literally PUNCHED Yates???'.
Another user wrote: 'Maddison just allowed to punch Yates in the stomach?'
In addition, another user stressed that Maddison should have been punished following a VAR check.
They wrote: 'How's VAR watching Maddison punch Yates and doing nothing ffs'.
Forest are outside of the relegation zone, only because their -16 goal difference, is superior to that of Luton who are on -20.
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