England boss Southgate reacts to controversial VAR decision

Gareth Southgate claims Italy should not have had a penalty as England’s World Cup preparations continued in encouraging fashion despite the late influence of the video assistant referee allowing Italy to snatch a 1-1 draw.

Four days after securing a deserved win in Holland, tentative optimism continued as the Three Lions produced a promising display against another big-name absentee from this summer’s finals.

Italy are not the force they once were but this was another assured display, albeit an all too familiar lack of cutting edge meant England failed to build on Jamie Vardy’s early goal and Lorenzo Insigne grabbed a 1-1 draw from a penalty borne out of a late VAR review.

“I’m glad it’s not the World Cup just yet,” Southgate told ITV. “I think the ruling is ‘clear and obvious’ and it’s not. It’s one you can debate all day.

“It looks like James Tarkowski stands on him but it’s during the running process and he’s going down anyway.

“I think the referee had a good view already. I don’t think with incidents like that VAR will clear things up. An obvious handball and stuff like that then maybe…but we have to get on with it.”

And debutant James Tarkowski, who conceded the controversial penalty following a foul on substitute Federico Chiesa, was also adamant it shouldn’t have been given.

“I stood on his foot but I didn’t think a lot of it,” Tarkowski said. “It is what it is – I’m not going to complain. It’s been a great experience this week.

“Its never a penalty,” he added.

“It would have been nice to have two wins but I think there’s a lot of positives to take. We look forward to the World Cup now.”

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