ROY KEANE was left flabbergasted by Serge Aurier’s ‘rugby tackle’ challenge on Wesley Fofana in Tottenham’s defeat to Leicester.
Spurs’ title charge suffered a fresh setback with Sunday’s 2-0 shock, which was set in motion by the Ivorian conceding a penalty.
In first-half stoppage time, Fofana was first to a bouncing ball on the edge of the area, and chested it away from goal.
Steaming in a split second later was Aurier, who even put his head down as he barged the Leicester defender to the ground.
Referee Craig Pawson referred to the VAR screen before giving the penalty, which Jamie Vardy dutifully drilled home.
The incident left Sky Sports pundits Keane, Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink and Alan Smith bewildered.
Hasselbaink stated: “It is just a really silly challenge. [Moussa] Sissoko loses a header that he can’t, and this…
“I’ve got no words for it, why in God’s name do you need to do this?
Utter madness. There is no danger – he’s not in on goal.
Roy Keane
“It’s a rugby tackle. You don’t do that. He’s trying to push the opponent out of the way, but he’s forgetting he’s [not] out of the box.
“There are no words for that. It’s a rugby tackle.”
Fellow studio analyst Keane chimed in to describe the foul as ‘madness’.
He remarked: “There is a word, Jimmy. Madness.
“I want to be careful what I say about this defender. I’ve been on this road before with him.
“Utter madness. There is no danger, he’s not in on goal.
“He’s not looking at the ball. [Aurier is] an experienced player, madness.”
Spurs dropped to fourth in the table at the final whistle, with the defeat sealed by Toby Alderweireld’s own goal.
Serge Aurier was late in his challenge on Wesley FofanaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
The Tottenham man was well away from the ball as he barged his rivalCredit: Getty Images – Getty
It meant a third game without a win for Jose Mourinho’s side, who only recently stood atop the Premier League summit.
Former Arsenal striker Smith described on commentary how right-back Aurier, 27, had previously been one of the bright points of Mourinho’s management.
He said: “You just wonder what he was thinking there.
“He hasn’t been so impetuous under Mourinho with those challenges but that was a silly one, and a costly one.”
Roy Keane tore apart the challenge in his analysis
Tottenham star Serge Aurier gets ‘beaten up’ by Ivory Coast team-mate
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
