In the final round of the Premier League, the second half of the match between Tottenham and Everton was delayed due to technical issues. This situation, caused by problems with the VAR system, drew sharp criticism from renowned expert Gary Neville. He called the situation "absolutely ridiculous." This is reported by Goal.com .
With standings being decided, the delay in the Tottenham match was highlighted as contrary to the sporting principles of the tournament. Specifically, while the match between West Ham and Leeds United, who were fighting to stay in the league, had finished on time, the game in London was still ongoing. This hindered the teams from competing on equal terms.
Working as a Sky Sports pundit, Gary Neville was furious that referee Michael Oliver had stopped the game for technical reasons. "Why did they start elsewhere if they were synchronizing the game? A football match should not be stopped for such a reason. The fans are booing and they are right. This is unacceptable, not just because it's the final game of the season, but for the integrity of the sport," said the former Manchester United defender.
Due to the delay, 9 minutes were added to the Tottenham match. By this time, West Ham had already finished their game with a 3-0 victory. However, Tottenham held on to a 1-0 win thanks to a goal scored by Joao Palhinha, securing their place in the league with 41 points.
As a result, despite their big win, West Ham remained at the bottom of the table with 39 points and were relegated to the Championship. Tottenham will look to rebuild their squad under Roberto De Zerbi next season and ensure such a poor campaign is not repeated.
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