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It was a moment that deserved a jubilant crowd, although Tottenham supporters can take comfort in the fact that they are launching a title challenge and crowning a glorious comeback. The familiar sight, and the renewed saying, came in the 73rd minute.
The instinctive expectation after such a call is for the ground to explode, as the Welsh hero headed in the goal that secured a 2-1 win over Brighton. There were cheers, but only from one of the executive boxes, adding a degree of commotion to a moment that would have otherwise seemed programmed.
Perfect from Bale, totally imperfect from the officers.
If the good winner of the new number nine made as much sense from a narrative perspective, the same couldn’t be said for most of the game’s key incidents. This was arguably the only goal that followed some kind of logic.
It was a game of so many calls that raised eyebrows that it was actually difficult to keep up with what the score “should” have been, although Brighton will argue they deserved more from the game. That has been one of the stories of his season.
The story of this specific game, beyond Bale, was that every major decision by referee Graham Scott seemed wrong.
Harry Kane’s opening penalty should have been a free kick. Brighton should have received a penalty of their own for a foul on Leandro Troussard. The excellent Tariq Lamptey should have had his goal disallowed for a foul by Solly March.
Regardless of trying to keep up with what the score should have been, the bottom line is that Spurs are keeping pace with Liverpool. Their first home win of the season puts them two points behind the champions.
Normal service was resumed, in various ways, including the initial goal.
Harry Kane opened the scoring from the penalty spot
(POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
It wasn’t just that Kane scored, or that he hit a penalty so emphatically in that pure way that it has almost become a guarantee. Kane has clear shooting technique from point of view, but not just scoring; this is how you take them and how you try to win them.
It has almost become a common image now. As if sensing an aerial challenge, Kane will crouch down when the opposing player is at his side, secure contact, and win the penalty. It is often the defending player, in this case Adam Lallana, who is left on the ground. One could even argue that it should be a free kick.
And yet, initially there seemed to be no debate about the lack. The only reason the VAR was examined was to determine if it was in or out of the box. The penalty was given, and Kane took advantage, for the Spurs to take the lead.
There were some complaints about that, but not as many as about the use of VAR at the other end. Just minutes after Kane’s penalty, Brighton received a call of their own, when Matt Doherty appeared to knock Troussard down.
It seemed an almost certain pity. The contact was clear. The VAR official, in this case Jonathan Moss, insisted it was not a penalty. Potter had his hands on his head in utter disbelief.
At halftime, after what had been a first open period, the Brighton players voiced their complaints about Scott’s decisions. Meanwhile, Lallana appeared to be discussing his foul penalty with Kane, the latter aiming for the ground.
Brighton seemed to be becoming aware of this. Dan Burn then called the referee’s attention to the exact same type of move, and Yves Bissouma refused to jump in with Kane.
It was turning into a somewhat grumpy game, with many considerable challenges and the kind of complaints that temporarily made the empty stadium appear full. The roars were that loud.
One came for March’s challenge over Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in preparation for Lamptey’s draw. It was a well deserved goal for Brighton in terms of the overall game, but not in the details of the incident. It seemed like a certain lack of March, with his only potential touch being the slightest of blows on the ball. That ensured it was a “subjective call” for Scott. After a long, long look, he made the original decision. The goal stopped.
Tariq Lamptey’s equalizer was controversial after a VAR check
(Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
And he called the game and you could say he called the decisions. Brighton perhaps shouldn’t have received a penalty against them, and probably should have had a penalty of its own. The broader problem is that we really shouldn’t be talking about “matching” decisions in this age of VAR.
Bale at least made sure there was something more pure to talk about.
Brought in as a substitute for Erik Lamela in the 70th minute, he had won the match at 73rd, with a supreme header with a good cross from Sergio Reguilon.
You could question the Brighton brand, but you couldn’t question the excitement of the moment. As he celebrated, Bale seemed to instinctively yell “Come on!”
The Spurs are certainly on their way, and now they speak properly of a title challenge. That, unlike many of the decisions in this game, seems out of the question.
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