Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Liverpool had refereeing controversy in spades.It really feels as though the Premier League put 'VAR drama' on their Christmas list because the last few weeks of action in England's top-flight have been full of outrage at very twist and turn.However, in what proved to be one of most entertaining games of the season so far, the officiating disputes had arguably never been so intense with Paul Tierney becoming the centre of controversy.
Kane vs Robertson controversy
When he wasn't getting an earful from Jurgen Klopp at full-time or dishing out a red card for Andrew Robertson, you could bet that the Premier League official was being panned across social media.
And arguably the most controversial decision that Tierney oversaw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was the decision not to send off Harry Kane for his crunching tackle on Robertson.
Tottenham 2-2 Liverpool Match Reaction (Football Terrace)
In what looked like a dangerous challenge on the Liverpool left-back, Kane ultimately got away with just a yellow card in a decision that many felt should have seen greater intervention from VAR.
But alas, Kane was not sent for an early bath in the way that Robertson was later in the match for a tackle that did indeed receive a closer examination from the technology.
Kane defends his Robertson challenge
So, should Kane have been sent packing? Well, funnily enough, the man himself didn't think so as he defended himself in a post-match interview that reminded us of an amusing incident in 2019.
On this occasion, Kane didn't have to rewatch what many fans interpreted to have been a dive, but did stand his ground over the type of tackle that has prompted red cards before nonetheless.
According to the Daily Mail, the England captain said to Sky Sports after the game: "I thought it was a strong tackle but I won the ball. I haven't seen it back.
"When you're playing against top sides and fighting for points, sometimes there are going to be strong tackles. They've obviously checked it, it stayed as a yellow card and we move on."
"On the pitch, it didn't feel like [a red card was deserved]," Kane added.
"Even Andy [Robertson], on the pitch, said: 'No, you just caught my foot – don't think it was a foul.' Sometimes, when you slow stuff down in football, it makes it look worse than what it is.
"That's what VAR is there for and we get on with the game – we look for the positives and what we can now do in a busy period."
'Won the ball' is a little ambitious, Harry, but fair play for defending yourself on such a divisive incident.
The jury is still out, Harry
However, you'll forgive us for thinking that it won't persuade everyone that the foul should only have been punished with a caution with even Mark Clattenburg opining that a red card was warranted.
This time around, Kane was on the right side of luck and could defend his tackle in the post-match interviews safe in the knowledge that he hadn't given Spurs a major disadvantage so early on.
But even the fascinating insight that Robertson didn't think that a foul was deserved won't stop many fans from grabbing VAR by the scruff of its neck over yet another controversial decision.
