Tottenham have appealed to the Football Association after Son Heung-min was shown a red card for the tackle on Andre Gomes that led to a horrific injury for the Everton midfielder.
The South Korean brought down Gomes and referee Martin Atkinson initially reached for a yellow card, but when the severity of the injury became apparent he changed his decision to a red.
VAR did not intervene, with the Premier league releasing a statement saying Son had ‘endangered the safety of the player’ with the injury happening ‘as a consequence of his initial challenge’.
That decision has been widely criticised by pundits, ex-players, ex-referees and Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino and, according to The Guardian, Tottenham have appealed the red card.
Although Spurs are extremely sympathetic to what happened to Gomes, the club are said to be ‘amazed’ that Atkinson decided to swap his yellow card for a red.
At present, Son would be given a three-game ban which would see him miss Premier League matches against Sheffield United, West Ham and Bournemouth.
The Tottenham winger would not be eligible to play again until December 4 against Manchester United, though there is a genuine belief that the ban can be overturned.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Pochettino made his feelings clear, saying: ‘After when you watch the action on TV, it was never his intention, and it was never a tackle to do what happened after. It was very, very bad luck for Andre, bad luck for his family and for Everton.
‘Of course that finished with a red card for Sonny, really unfair. The condition and atmosphere of the game changed. Disappointed for the result, and disappointed for a lot of things that happened during the more than 90 minutes.’
On what in particularly disappointed him, he explained: ‘I think everyone saw the game. You cannot be agreeing with the sending off of Sonny and many things that happened before.’
Son was inconsolable in the dressing room afterwards and was visited by several Everton players who made it clear he was not to blame for the injury and Spurs still intend to pick him for Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Red Star.
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