Ange Postecoglou insisted his controversial cupped ear celebration to Tottenham fans in a 1-0 loss at Chelsea had been misinterpreted on another bad night for the Australian.
Spurs slipped to a 16th defeat in the Premier League this season thanks to a 50th-minute header by Enzo Fernandez, but it only told half the story of a typically frenzied London derby.
VAR was required to rule out a fine strike by Moises Caicedo five minutes after Fernandez broke the deadlock at Stamford Bridge before Postecoglou’s gesture to his own supporters after Pape Sarr had rifled in what appeared an equaliser after 69 minutes made headlines.
Ange''s Chelsea reaction 💬 pic.twitter.com/wZ23bRx9D9
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 3, 2025
Postecoglou’s decision to bring off Lucas Bergvall for Sarr prompted a small section of away fans to boo and subsequently chant ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ towards the 59-year-old, who has faced mounting scrutiny following a poor winter period amid a hefty list of injuries.
When Sarr marked his 64th-minute arrival with a long-range strike, it sparked a subdued reaction from Postecoglou, who appeared to cup his ear to the celebrating Tottenham fans before his mood turned sour when referee Craig Pawson ruled out the goal for a foul on Caicedo.
“Jesus mate, it’s incredible how things get interpreted,” Postecoglou explained.
“We’d just scored, I just wanted to hear them cheer because we’d been through a tough time and I thought it was a cracking goal. I wanted them to get really excited.
“I felt at that point we could potentially go on and win the game. I just felt momentum was on our [side].
“It doesn’t bother me, it’s not the first time they’ve booed my substitutions or my decisions, that’s fine. They’re allowed to do that, but we’d just scored a goal, just scored an equaliser, I was just hoping we could get some excitement.
“If people want to read into that that somehow I’m trying to make a point about something, like I said, we’d been through a tough time, but I just felt there was a bit of a momentum shift there. If they get really behind the lads, I thought we had the momentum to finish on top of them.”
Asked if he was in danger of alienating the fanbase with a celebration like that, Postecoglou reflected: “You know what, I am at such a disconnect with the world these days, that who knows. Maybe you’re right.
“I don’t know, but that’s not what my intention was.”
Postecoglou went on to express his bemusement with VAR in a string of interviews, telling Sky Sports “it’s killing the game” before he continued his grievances with technology in his press conference.
“It’s killing the game, it’s not the same game it used to be,” Postecoglou started.
“How long did it take tonight? Six minutes. For a clear and obvious error. Like whether it is a foul or not, who cares if it is a foul or not. There are so many incidents that are very similar out there, but now they are saying, ‘this one is a goal’.
Vicario on tonight''s result 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/HKi4yUAaUE
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 3, 2025
“What is the point of having a referee then? Like clear and obvious to me is you go to the screen and say, ‘oh my God I’ve missed that’ but standing around for so long?
“It will be refereed by AI (Artificial Intelligence) pretty soon and we may as well dispense of the players at some point. Someone will come up with a genius way of having a game of football with no participants because referees aren’t refereeing.”
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca was able to toast a well-earned three points, which moved them back up to fourth in the table.
Maresca said: “Very important first of all because of the performance.
“We know how important it is in this moment to win games, but since we start we try to win games in the way we want.
“I think tonight the performance was very good and we are happy.”
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
