Following Tottenham's 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in the North London derby, a Jose Mourinho he has had to maintain a delicate balance before the press. Criticize, on the one hand, the referee's performance without subtracting an iota of merit from Arsenal on the other., who has recognized that he has played a great game. Thus, his first sentence before the 'Sky Sports' microphones has been reserved for the referees, that of the VAR and the one on the field of play, for two plays that have conditioned the game: Dávinson's penalty on Lacazette and Lamela's expulsion for a double yellow.
“It's a shame that there are no post-match interviews with the referees, right?”, He assured as soon as he stood in front of a microphone. “We played badly in the first half, and getting 1-1 was not a true reflection of reality.. We were poor in all the plots. We defended poorly, we did not have intensity or pressure and some of our most important players hid. I said, very bad. In the second half we could only do better, but then a question arises that only Michael Oliver, the referee, can answer, but that will not have an answer because they do not speak “.
“The referee made a bad decision that the VAR endorsed”, assured in BBC as for Dávinson's penalty on Lacazette. “Being sincere and pragmatic the first half was his, but the second was Michael Oliver and Paul Tierney, who was at the controls of the VAR. It was they who decided the meeting. “
“I understand that referees have difficulties sometimes. I saw the play myself from 40 or 50 meters away at first, but then I saw it on the iPad. I'm not complaining, but when you see it on a screen it's just what it is, and if anyone has a different opinion it is an Arsenal fan with a season pass. It is the only discrepancy that I accept because it is passion that speaks, but in any other case I do not do it because it is a fairly obvious circumstance. If the players don't do better, it's because they can't. I am also part of the team and guilty for that first half. The players get tired, the coaches get tired and, perhaps, the referees too. My penalty record with Michael Oliver at Chelsea, United and Tottenham is quite unfortunate. “.