Jeff Stelling was left dumbfounded on Soccer Saturday (02/12/21 at 1:00pm) after Tottenham were awarded a penalty during their 3-0 win against Leeds.
After a wayward pass from Leeds’ goalkeeper Illan Meslier, that resulted in Steven Bergwijn running towards the penalty area with Gjanni Alioski tripping the Tottenham man.
There was no hesitation to point to the spot or any claims that a free-kick should have been awarded instead of a penalty.
But Sky Sports presenter, Stelling, was adamant that the foul committed by Alioski occurred outside of the area and not inside the box.
“He looks like he is outside the box to me,” said Stelling. Seconds later the penalty is awarded to Tottenham with the Soccer Saturday studio panel in a fit of laughter.
Former striker Tony Cottee, who was reporting on the game then issued this response to the presenter: “What do you know, Jeff? What do you know?”
Stelling then responded: “I am going to specsavers at the next possible opportunity. It’s outside the box. But, anyway. I am lost. I don’t understand it anymore. Looking along the line, the contact was clearly three or four inches outside the box. It wasn’t a foul by the time contact continues into the box, it was just a trip outside the box.
Later on in the show, Stelling was still adamant that it wasn’t a penalty: “Before we move on, I would just like to say I don’t need to go to specsavers or any optician, after all because I have just seen a re-run of the penalty award – and the contact is clearly [outside of the box]. Why on earth VAR couldn’t look at it and not call that.”
Well, if Leeds were or weren’t annoyed with the penalty decision they deserved to lose on the day because it was an off-day from Marcelo Bielsa’s men.
They don’t have a good record in the capital dating back from their Championship days, but it’s a record they will be hoping to put right as the season progresses.
But with Leeds being Leeds, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the thump Brighton in their next Premier League game.
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