Alan Shearer believes the right decision was made not to award a penalty to Tottenham in their 1-0 defeat against Newcastle United yesterday (Sunday).
Spurs were denied a spot kick when Harry Kane tumbled in the box under a challenge from Jamaal Lascelles as Tottenham pushed for an equaliser, with referee Mike Dean waving away the protests from the home players.
His decision was not overturned by the video assistant referee (VAR), although the incident was reviewed at Stockley Park, with Spurs left frustrated as they lost for the first time in the Premier League this season.
But while former Tottenham and Newcastle midfielder Jermaine Jenas said it surprised him that a penalty was not given, and the subject was also debated by pundits in the Sky Sports studio , Shearer said he could understand why the on-field decision was not overturned.
“Half of us were saying no penalty, half of us were saying yes," he said, speaking on BBC programme Match of the Day 2.
"If the referee gives the penalty, you would look and say, ok VAR is not going to change it. Because he doesn’t give the penalty, and the high bar they are setting, they are not going to change that.
"Harry Kane is trying to lean in and there is contact, but for me, I have to say I don’t think it is not a penalty."
Fellow Match of the Day 2 pundit and former Tottenham striker Peter Crouch had a different view to Shearer, although like the Newcastle legend, he could understand the decision that was made by VAR.
“With [Jamaal] Lascelles, this is how he defended all day. He genuinely wants to block the shot, and if he doesn’t, he takes the man. In my opinion it was a penalty, but we have been arguing it all day," he said.
“I don’t think VAR is going to change that, once the decision has been given, whichever way it was.”
