Tottenham Hotspur assistant manager Cristian Stellini has praised referee Stuart Attwell for his handling of a confusing red card incident involving Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech during Sunday's Premier League win over the Blues.
The Morocco international was at the centre of a first-half melee following a foul on Richarlison, and Emerson Royal quickly joined the scuffle by barging Ziyech out of the way.
The Chelsea man reacted by aiming a shove at the right-back's shoulder, but he caught his face on the way through, causing Emerson to drop to the ground with his hands over his eyes.
Ziyech was initially given a red card by Attwell, but the referee was then instructed to review the incident on the monitor, leaving the 29-year-old in limbo as he waited to hear the verdict.
The red card decision was ultimately quashed as Attwell downgraded Ziyech's punishment to a yellow, sparking a wave of boos from Tottenham when the half-time whistle was sounded.
© Reuters
Tottenham still claimed a deserved 2-0 victory through Oliver Skipp and Harry Kane, and Stellini did not have a bad word to say about Attwell when questioned by BBC Sport at full time.
"The referee was good and explained the situation to us. VAR needed time to see who the player was and then to check if it was violent or not so they took their time and make this decision," Stellini said.
Following the bewildering scenes at the end of the first half, Tottenham were ahead within just 19 seconds of the restart, as Skipp fired home his first Lilywhites goal with a stunning effort from outside the area.
Tottenham remain untroubled by Chelsea's futile attempts to carve their way through, and the hosts doubled their lead in the 82nd minute through Kane, who tapped home at the back post following a corner.
Stellini unsurprisingly singled out Tottenham academy product Skipp for praise at full time, hailing the Englishman as an "amazing" player following his persistent injury struggles in recent months.
© Reuters
"Brilliant moment [for Oliver Skipp] and one that we expected for one year because it has been one year he stayed far from the pitch. Last season with physical problems and this year for tactical decisions," Stellini added.
"He is ready because he has trained a lot and pushed himself. He is an amazing guy and great player. A player like Skippy has to understand that if he trains a lot he will have possibilities to show his value."
Stellini was once again stepping in for Antonio Conte as the ex-Chelsea boss recovers from gallbladder surgery, and he can proudly boast four wins from his four games in interim charge.
However, the Italian is expecting Conte to return to his duties at Hotspur Way later this week as Spurs prepare for Wednesday's FA Cup fifth-round tie against Sheffield United.
"Our desire was this to win, play a great game and to fight for every ball and we are happy for the fans, the club and of course for us and Antonio who is still at home. My expectation is that Antonio [Conte] will be back this week," Stellini said.
Tottenham remain fourth in the Premier League table and now hold a four-point lead over fifth-placed Newcastle United, who have two games in hand.
Ben Knapton
