Premier League Share Statement on Spurs’ Handball Incident vs Leeds

The Premier League Match Centre issued a statement explaining why Leeds United were not awarded a penalty against Tottenham Hotspur following a potential handball by Mateus Fernandes. Early in the match at Elland Road, Fernandes attempted to chest the ball back to his goalkeeper, but it appeared to strike his arm. Referee John Brooks allowed play to continue, and VAR Tony Harrington confirmed the on-field decision after determining the ball hit the legal green zone.

Additional broadcast replays suggested the ball struck Fernandes' shoulder rather than his lower arm. Fernandes joined Tottenham from West Ham during the summer for a reported fee of around £85 million under head coach Roberto De Zerbi.