James Maddison criticises referees and VAR after Spurs goal ruled out at West Ham

Tottenham midfielder James Maddison publicly criticised referees and the video assistant referee (VAR) after a goal by Cristian Romero was controversially ruled out 20 minutes into Spurs' Premier League clash with West Ham at the London Stadium.

Romero nodded home from a Mohammed Kudus corner only for referee Jarred Gillett to immediately blow his whistle and signal a foul. VAR checked the incident and upheld the on-field decision, with the Premier League's Match Centre saying the call stood because it was deemed that Micky van de Ven pushed Kyle Walker-Peters in the back and impacted his ability to play the ball.

Spurs players, including Romero and captain Oliver Skipp, were seen remonstrating with Gillett in the immediate aftermath of the decision. Television pundit Jamie Redknapp said on Sky Sports that the decision was "incredibly harsh" and there appeared to be "not enough" contact to justify disallowing the goal.

Maddison, who is out for the majority of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, posted on X during the match: "Honestly the referees & VAR have had an absolute shocker of a start to the season. If that goal is disallowed for a foul you will never ever see a corner be taken without referee blowing for something ever again." The post was published while the game was still in progress.

Gillett's decision and the subsequent VAR confirmation provoked immediate debate among players, commentators and supporters, adding to ongoing discussion about when and how VAR should be applied to set-piece incidents. The Match Centre's explanation specified that the foul was judged to have occurred after the corner had been delivered into the area, rather than during the aerial challenge.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank and his coaching staff did not immediately provide an extended reaction after the match. West Ham, who defended the call, saw the decision preserve a clean sheet at that stage of the game and avoid conceding the opener.

The incident is the latest in a series of contentious refereeing and VAR moments this season that have drawn scrutiny from clubs, analysts and fans. Premier League officials have previously said they aim for consistency and clarity in VAR interventions, but debate continues about marginal contacts in crowded penalty-area situations.

Spurs now head into the next fixtures assessing both their performance and the impact of contentious decisions on match momentum. Maddison's vocal criticism while sidelined underlined the depth of frustration within the club over officiating decisions that, in their view, can decisively influence match outcomes.