Maddison: Officials 'petrified' to make decisions

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison has criticised match officials after being denied a stoppage-time penalty during his side's 1-1 Premier League draw against Leeds on Monday. The 29-year-old, making his first appearance of the season following injury, claimed via Instagram that he touched the ball himself rather than Leeds' Lukas Nmecha, contradicting the VAR decision that upheld referee Jarred Gillett's on-field ruling. Maddison stated that officials are 'petrified' to make decisions on the pitch due to the influence of VAR, noting the check took only around 20 seconds.