Mourinho slams referees after 2-1 defeat to Arsenal

 

Tottenham Hotspur manager, Jose Mourinho, has accused his “big players” of “hiding” as they lost 2-1 to Arsenal on Sunday.

Erik Lamela put the visitors ahead with a Rabona finish, before Martin Odegaard levelled before the break.

Alexandre Lacazette then converted a controversial penalty to seal an important win for the Gunners, as Spurs finished the game with 10 men after Lamela was sent off.

Mourinho said: “We were poor. Defending bad. No intensity or pressing. Some important players hiding. Really bad.

“Big players… you play for Tottenham then you are a big player. I’m not pointing the finger at A, B or C, I’m even pointing at myself because we are a team. But when we were as poor as we were, we don’t point the finger at anyone.

“Intensity. Gareth and Tanguy. We needed more intensity in that game. We need to be more intense in the game.”

Mourinho also expressed his anger with the penalty awarded to Lacazette. Referee Michael Oliver gave the decision even though Davinson Sanchez’s tackle made contact after the ball had gone. VAR did not overturn it.

Mourinho said: “I don’t want to call it a penalty because it’s an offence to penalties. The only thing worse than our first half was that.

“The game was under control in the second half so we recovered. We made changes to try and win and then it is a penalty and after that a second yellow for Lamela. It means the last 20 minutes 11 v 10 the team tried to get the result.”