Burn should have been sent off for Tottenham v Newcastle incident – Richards

Newcastle United defender Dan Burn was "lucky" not to be sent off for his handball in their 2-1 win at Tottenham, Micah Richards has said.

Speaking on Match of the Day (4 January), Richards was puzzled by Burn's outstretched body position as Dejan Kulusevski's attempted pass struck him on the arm, believing it warranted a yellow card.

Burn, having already been booked for a foul on Brennan Johnson, would have been given his marching orders had another yellow card been brandished, with Richards reckoning he'd gotten away with one.

He said: "I think this could be a second yellow, because you don't open your arms like that when you're about to press! I think he's lucky."

Tottenham under further pressure after Newcastle United defeat

Another day, another controversy in North London, but once again for Ange Postecoglou, he'll feel that Spurs deserved more from a game marred by incidents such as Burn's from the very first whistle.

Although receiving nowhere near as much scrutiny as the unpunished handball which led directly to Newcastle's early equaliser after just six minutes, Burn's still proved to be a key moment in the match.

With Spurs – and Postecoglou in particular – feeling they weren't getting the rub of the green from officials, seeing a Newcastle player again go unpunished for a handball will have been hard to stomach.

Given Burn was on a yellow card from the 17th minute, it's arguable the Lilywhites should have done more to target him, but seemingly blatant bookings not being given implies this wouldn't have mattered.

Postecoglou will be facing plenty of internal and external questions after a 10th defeat in 20 games this term, but he'll also have questions for officials, who he feels he's not getting the rub of the green from.

In other Tottenham news, Spurs are looking to solve their crisis at the back with one of the Premier League's in-form defenders.

For more Tottenham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channelfor instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.