Tottenham v Newcastle United leaves Jamie O’Hara in disbelief, ‘Joke’
Jamie O’Hara believes Anthony Gordon’s goal in Newcastle’s 2-1 win against Tottenham on Saturday should not have stood.
Gordon equalised for the Magpies just seconds after Dominic Solanke put Spurs in front in the fourth minute on 4 January, but O’Hara was left fuming after an apparent handball from Joelinton in the lead-up to the goal was disregarded as Alexander Isak went on to give the visitors the win.
The player-turned-pundit took to his personal X account to hit out at the officials for giving the goal despite the handball and dubbed the decision a “joke”.
“It’s a handball, how can you give that as a goal?”, O’Hara wrote on X (4 January).
“It’s put him on goal, what a joke.”
In a post, O’Hara noted that Ange Postecoglou was “seething” after the “awful” decision. He wrote: “You can see Ange is absolutely seething off that goal be given, it’s an awful decision.”
He then responded to a fan who said Tottenham have no one to blame but themselves for conceding the goal.
“Regardless of if it’s stupid play, the ball hits him straight on the arm and goes into the direction of their player, don’t care what the rule is, that is handball”, he said.
“You basically put your player in with a pass with your hand, come on it’s pathetic.”
Jamie O’Hara fumes as Gordon nullifies Solanke goal in Tottenham v Newcastle
Postecoglou made five changes to his Spurs line-up to face Newcastle, with injuries, illness and a suspension restricting his options.
With the North London giants also winless in their last three games, it was a huge relief for the Greek-Australian manager to see Solanke give the hosts the lead so early in the game.
However, the celebrations did not last long as Gordon brought the game back to square one just two later.
Tottenham, though, wanted the goal ruled out for a handball from Joelinton, who intercepted a wayward pass from Pape Matar Sarr.
Although the ball clearly hit the former Hoffenheim star’s hand before Bruno Guimaraes set up Gordon for the finish, the officials deemed that his arms were not in an unnatural position. O’Hara, though, evidently thinks otherwise.
It continued to be a very open game, with both sides threatening to score more goals.
However, Isak went on to hand a crushing blow to Postecoglou and co as he put the visitors in front with a tap in the 38th minute – goal that ultimately turned out to be the winner.
In other Tottenham news, the Premier League have released a statement amid controversy involving Spurs.
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