Tottenham: Randal Kolo Muani disallowed goal vs Arsenal explained amid 'clear' decision | OneFootball

Frenchman’s equaliser was chalked off after soft foul on Gabriel

Spurs trailed the Gunners early in the second-half after Viktor Gyokeres scored his first goal of the afternoon.

He shrugged off Gabriel to get on the end of Conor Gallagher’s cross, firing home from close range - but the goal would not stand.

Referee Peter Bankes immediately blew his whistle and gave an Arsenal free-kick, deeming Kolo Muani’s push on Gabriel to have been ovely forceful.

The decision drew considerable criticism from Tottenham fans, many of whom slammed it as a soft foul at a pivotal moment in the game.

While the contact seemed subtle, Kolo Muani does appear to push Gabriel with two hands in the small of his back.

The explanation Bankes offered to the Spurs players has nowbeen revealed in newly released Ref Cam footage.

Micky van de Ven, who was wearing the captain’s armband on the day, was first to approach the referee and challenge the call, but his complaints were promptly waved away.

Bankes told the Dutchman: “The on-field decision is a foul.”

He then added: “It is a clear foul, end of.”

VAR did not overturn the decision, and Dermot Gallagher, head of PGMOL, said there was no clear or obvious reason for the assistants at Stockley Park to get involved.

“The referee gives it, the on-field decision is always going to stand here,” he explained.

“The referee gives the foul on field, he thinks there is enough of a push. VAR is never, ever going to say he’s got it wrong because the evidence is there that there is a push, albeit, people are saying ‘is it enough?’

“But there is a push.”

Arsenal went on to twist the knife after Kolo Muani was denied his brace, with Eberechi Eze and Gyokeres both adding to their hosts’ misery.