Cristian Romero referee verdict given after red card decision during Tottenham clash vs Brentford

Tottenham were held to a goalless draw against Brentford on Thursday evening but the match wasn't without incident

Tottenham have been given fresh verdicts on potential red card and penalty incidents during their goalless draw away at Brentford on Thursday evening.

Despite getting back to winning ways last time out against Crystal Palace, Thomas Frank 's side dropped points once again as neither team could break the deadlock at the Gtech Community Stadium. In a very tight game, Brentford enjoyed slightly more possession than their visitors and registered one more attempt on target.

The match was not entirely without incident, though, as there were two major calls made by referee Andrew Madley. The first involved Spurs defender Cristian Romero, who was only just returning from suspension after being sent off against Liverpool before Christmas.

On this occasion, the Argentina international brought down Brentford striker Igor Thiago when he was the last man and appeared to have handled the ball in the process. No foul was given and Romero, quite fortunately, remained on the pitch to see out the game, much to the frustration of Keith Andrews.

Speaking on Sky Sports' Ref Watch, former official Dermot Gallagher was of the opinion that the wrong call had been made, and that Romero should have been given his marching orders. "He challenges for the ball, he doesn't get the ball, he gets Thiago, there's no doubt about that," he explained on Friday morning.

"Is Thiago in possession? Most certainly. He'll skip by and he's away on goal. For me, foul, red card, easy decision."

The second incident went against Spurs, as penalty appeals were waved away when Archie Gray was brought down by Kevin Schade and Nathan Collins in the box. The contact looked minimal on the replays, and Gallagher was inclined to agree with the on-field decision that no penalty should have been awarded.

"I do not think it is a foul because Schade bumps into him," he added. "There is a little bit of a nudge, but if you watch Gray, he actually throws himself forward and uses Collins's calf to go over – I thought no foul."

Now, Frank's side must gear up for a tricky run of fixtures that includes the visit of Sunderland this weekend and a trip to Bournemouth next week. Later this month, they will also host Aston Villa in the third round of the FA Cup, while a meeting with Dortmund looms in the Champions League.

In the context of the Premier League table, Thursday's stalemate means Spurs remain 12th in the standings and outside the top 10. They are seven points adrift of the top four with 19 games played, meaning qualification for next season's Champions League remains a monumental task.