Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho has defended his striker Harry Kane after the penalty controversy in their Premier League win against Brighton.
Kane dropped to the turf after he collided with Seagulls forward Adam Lallana on the edge of the Brighton penalty area in the game last Sunday.
The VAR, Jon Moss, advised referee Graham Scott to award a penalty to Tottenham for the incident in the 13th minute which Kane himself converted to help his side on their way to the 2-1 victory.
Harry Kane was criticised in some quarters after he was awarded a penalty following a collision with Adam Lallana at the weekend - but the Spurs forward points out that VAR backed up the referee's decision.
Do you think it was a penalty? 👍👎 pic.twitter.com/0dijmxhwJN— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 3, 2020
Kane has received much criticism in the wake of the incident, with many analysts and journalists claiming that the England international contrived to win the spot-kick while exposing his opponent to the possibility of getting injured from the resulting fall.
However, his manager Jose Mourinho insisted that the only decision that Moss had to make was whether the incident happened outside the box or on the line.
"He didn't win any penalty, he didn't win any penalty. Lallana made the penalty. [Kane] didn't win anything," said Mourinho in the build-up to Tottenham's UEFA Europa League group meeting with Ludogorets in Bulgaria on Thursday night.
"For me it's clear. The only doubt in that situation is the doubt that the VAR decided, which was, is it a penalty or is it a free-kick."
Mourinho felt that the replay left that decision in no doubt and when asked if incidents like this demonstrated the more cynical streak that he wanted to see in his Tottenham team.
"I never spoke about penalties," Mourinho insisted.
"You are confused because you could be speaking about some Manchester United players, you could be speaking about some Manchester City players, you could be speaking about some Liverpool players, you could be speaking about some Chelsea players.
"And you are speaking about Harry Kane? Who was in a position to control the ball in a dangerous position and Lallana comes with a very reckless action and committed a foul.
"Why are you speaking about being clever or not being clever? Being clever is to hold the ball, and shoot and score. It was a foul. What is the media speaking about? What are you speaking about. It is a foul!
"It's a foul. Direct free kick or a penalty. It's for the VAR to decide."
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