"It is disappointing for me" - Mike Dean admits he got VAR decision wrong in Chelsea vs Tottenham game
Chelsea's clash with Tottenham Hotspur ended in a draw, with both sides taking home a point each thanks to a late header from Harry Kane. However, Kane's 96th-minute goal wasn't the only event to make headlines, as Spurs defender Cristian Romero had pulled Blues full-back Marc Cucurella's hair just moments earlier.
The hair-pull, if it had been punished, might have seen Romero get sent off and could potentially have changed the outcome of the resulting corner, with Spurs down to 10 men. However, it was overlooked by referee Anthony Taylor, as Mike Dean (who was in charge of VAR) did not ask Taylor to review the incident on the pitch-side monitor.
Mike Dean (VAR for Chelsea vs Tottenham):
“I got it wrong on the Romero/Cucurella hair pull.” https://t.co/42UTjwzwR3
Dean admitted that he made the wrong decision in his Daily Mail column, explaining:
"For the second goal by Harry Kane, I asked referee Anthony Taylor to wait while I looked at the incident involving Tottenham's Cristian Romero and Chelsea's Marc Cucurella. I could not award a free-kick as VAR, but I could recommend to Taylor that he visit the referee review area to consider a possible red card."
He added:
"In the few seconds I had to study Romero pulling Cucurella's hair, I didn't deem it a violent act. I've since studied the footage, spoken to other referees and, upon reflection, I should have asked Taylor to visit his pitch-side monitor to take a look for himself. The referee on field always has the final say."
He further wrote:
"It’s disappointing for me as this was one incident in an otherwise very good weekend from our officials."
#CheTotChelsea vs. Tottenham Hotspur. What are the referee and #VAR doing? That was unbelievable 🤷🏼♂️🙈 #CheTot
Mike Dean's decision not to recommend a viewing of the incident to the on-pitch referee may have likely changed how the eventual result unfolded.
Tottenham set to beat Chelsea and Manchester United to wonderkid signing: Report
According to Mirror, Spurs have taken the lead in the race to sign Blackburn Rovers starlet Ashley Phillips. The highly-rated 17-year-old enjoyed a breakout season last year and has been on the radar of English powerhouses.
With Phillips in the last year of his contract, Tottenham have decided to make their move ahead of Manchester United and Chelsea. Antonio Conte’s side hope to make him their eigth signing in a busy transfer window.
Phillips has featured regularly for Blackburn’s youth team. He is expected to provide the north Londoners with extra depth in defense throughout the season.
Philips has continued his development this season, already earning himself a promotion to the first team where he has started the last three games. One of those matches, a 3-0 loss to Reading, was watched by Tottenham director of football Fabio Paratici, with the Italian hoping to finalize a deal imminently.