'An absolute shocker!' - Injured Spurs star James Maddison rages against disallowed Cristian Romero goal after controversial VAR decision in West Ham derby clash

The 27-year-old did not limit his criticism of the standard of refereeing in the Premier League to one incident. He claimed VAR and on-field referees have had "an absolute shocker" to start the season. 

Romero's 27th minute header was chalked off after the VAR and on-field referee Jarred Gillet ruled that van de Ven had pushed Kyle Walker-Peters, halting the West Ham defender from attacking the ball. Maddison suggested referees would be blowing their whistle at every dead ball if such decisions became commonplace. 

At half-time, Sky Sports pundits Jamie Redknapp and Gianfranco Zola both criticised the decision. "I just don't think it's enough," said Redknapp. The intervention of the VAR comes after fierce criticism of the decision to rule out Josh King's goal against Chelsea a fortnight ago. 

Spurs will be hoping for better luck with the referees when they open their Champions League campaign against Villarreal on Tuesday. An embattled West Ham continue their Premier League campaign when they host Crystal Palace on September 20.