"It's surprising that VAR handled everything, except for a dangerous tackle on my player," coach Postecoglou complained at a press conference after Tottenham lost 2-4 to Brighton in round 19 of the Premier League.

According to the Australian coach, the referee ignored the red card for Lewis Dunk when the Brighton defender tackled Dejan Kulusevski. He said: "The penalty we had was clear and it only took them three minutes to make the decision. I have no complaints about that situation."

Tottenham arrived at Brighton in high spirits, having won three games while their opponents were in a slump. But the visitors were soon hit with a cold shower as Jack Hinshelwood and Joao Pedro scored twice in the first half. Tottenham's four-man defence looked disorganized as Brighton's strikers continued to dribble and combine in front of the box. The visitors conceded a penalty after Kulusevski pulled Danny Welbeck's shirt in the box.

"To be fair, we looked a bit tired and lacked our usual sharpness, especially at the start of the game," added Postecoglou. "Our style of play is physical and the team didn't look good today. Brighton were playing well and were excited. They took advantage of that."

Mr Postecoglou has been a vocal critic of VAR this season. Last month he expressed his disapproval of VAR after Tottenham lost 4-1 to Chelsea, in which they had two players sent off. The 58-year-old strategist said the VAR system made football less interesting as situations were torn apart for inspection.

The defeat means Tottenham cannot reclaim fourth place from Man City. They have 36 points after 19 games, one point behind Man City, having played one game more. Spurs are also only three points ahead of the next team, West Ham. Coach Postecoglou remains optimistic because Tottenham have just gone through a period of losing 10 players due to injury. "Things can be better for us when the pillars return," he said.

Coach Postecoglou and his team only have two days off to regain their spirits, before returning home to meet the team with the best form in the league, Bournemouth, on the last day of the year.

Vy Anh