Ange Postecoglou has hailed Tottenham’s bravery at Arsenal, but expressed bemusement at the handball rule, joking “armless defenders” may be required in the future after Cristian Romero conceded a ludicrously harsh penalty in the 2-2 draw.
Spurs grabbed a share of the north London derby spoils after captain Son Heung-min struck either side of halftime.
But it might have been an even better result for the Australian, who’s still unbeaten in the Premier League, if Romero hadn’t been penalised for handball in the box in the 54th minute after he blocked Ben White’s shot from close proximity, allowing Bukayo Saka to roll home the resultant penalty.
Spurs did equalise immediately afterwards when Son netted his 150th Spurs goal but Postecoglou was still bemused afterwards about the award of the penalty, likening it to the equally unfair handball given against Wolves’ Joao Gomes at Luton on Saturday.
“I’ve got no idea about the handball rule,” he shrugged. “I really don’t. I saw the one yesterday at Wolves and it just seems if it hits your hand it’s a penalty and then other times if it hits your hand, it isn’t a penalty.
“I’ve got no idea. It is the one rule in the game I just don’t understand.
“Unless we start developing armless defenders, I don’t know how you are supposed to block things and be in a natural position.
“It is what it is. You kind of hope these things even themselves out over the course of a year but I don’t understand the rule. Any clarity would be good because I have got no idea.”
But Postecoglou was delighted by the performance of his side. “You can get a result here, a draw, and you can walk away feeling ‘you know what, we escaped’ – but I don’t have that feeling now.
“I think we went toe-to-toe with a top team and at times we really asserted our dominance on the game. At times, they did but that’s what happens when you face top sides.
“Even if we had lost today, and I don’t like losing, but for me to keep pushing these guys, they need to feel that out there that what we talk about and work on, they can see it come to fruition and when it does against a top team, being brave with our approach, that’s the key thing. I’m pleased.”
