Tottenham defender under fire as 'massive risk' foul goes unpunished in Brentford clash | OneFootball

Tottenham secured a much-needed 2-0 victory over Brentford at the weekend, but the match was not without its talking points.

One particular moment involving Pedro Porro left Brentford fans questioning whether Spurs had been fortunate to avoid conceding a penalty.

The Spanish defender played a key role in his team’s defensive efforts, but his challenge on an opposition forward inside the penalty area sparked debate.

The referee waved play on, and even a VAR review did not overturn the decision, leaving many wondering if the officials got it right.

With Tottenham now gaining some breathing space from the bottom half of the table, the focus has shifted to whether they were lucky to come away with all three points.

Pedro Porro avoids controversial penalty decision

Brentford FC v Tottenham Hotspur FC - Premier League | Ryan Pierse/GettyImages

During Tottenham’s 2-0 win at the G-Tech Community Stadium, Pedro Porro was seen pulling Brentford’s Yoane Wissa inside the box.

Referee Jarred Gillett decided against awarding a penalty, and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) at Stockley Park, after a brief review, chose not to intervene.

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher weighed in on the incident, stating on Sky Sports' Ref Watch: "It's unwise. It's a massive risk, you are posing the referee a question."

Meanwhile, Stephen Warnock was more critical, arguing: "Why put yourself in that position? Especially when you know VAR is in play.

"This is the issue now, we've got that bar of clear of obvious, if Porro is preventing Wissa from getting to the ball and it's been missed VAR needs to step in and help the referee."

Brentford manager Thomas Frank expressed his frustration after the game, not just about the penalty call but also about his team’s inability to convert chances.

"We did a lot of things right. We created a lot of good situations with 30-something crosses and a lot of shots, but there were not enough big chances."

A risky challenge that went unpunished

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou praised his side’s defensive display, acknowledging that Brentford posed a tough challenge.

"Yeah, difficult place to come, difficult place to win at, but also a difficult place to keep them out because the way they play and the way they set up," he credited his players for handling Brentford’s aerial threats.

Postecoglou added: "You have to defend your box it doesn't matter how you play. They're getting throw-ins into the box, set pieces, crosses, you're just going to have to do that irrespective of how you want to tactically approach it."

For now, Tottenham sit 14th in the Premier League, while Brentford hold 11th place. All eyes will be on Spurs as they face Manchester United on Sunday, the 16th.