James Maddison has not held back in his criticism of the referee and VAR after Spurs had a goal controversially chalked off in their clash with West Ham United.Only Liverpool has made the perfect start to the Premier League season, with the Reds winning all three of their opening fixtures and setting the pace at the top of the table.Thomas Frank’s Tottenham side, meanwhile, has not enjoyed such a flawless beginning, having suffered a defeat against Bournemouth in matchweek three, though they remain determined to get back on track in matchweek four against West Ham United.The London derby brought fresh changes from Frank, who handed new signing Xavi Simons his first start in a Tottenham shirt, while Mathys Tel was also given his first start of the season as he replaced Richarlison in the line-up.Credit: @harryphoto.kr / InstagramJames Maddison blasts VAR after Tottenham goal ruled outTottenham began the game brightly and thought they had broken the deadlock when former West Ham United midfielder Mohammed Kudus whipped in a dangerous inswinging delivery that was met by captain Cristian Romero, who headed home what looked set to be Spurs’ opening goal of the season.The celebrations were cut short as referee Jarred Gillett blew for a foul, before VAR had a second look and upheld the decision, ruling that Micky van de Ven had pushed West Ham full-back Kyle Walker-Peters in the build-up.James Maddison, who is still working his way back from the ACL injury that disrupted his pre-season, wasted little time in voicing his frustration at what he saw as an overly harsh decision. Taking to X, the midfielder wrote: “Honestly the referees & VAR have had an absolute shocker of a start to the season. If that goal is disallowed for a foul you will never ever see a corner be taken without referee blowing for something ever again”.Honestly the referees & VAR have had an absolute shocker of a start to the season. If that goal is disallowed for a foul you will never ever see a corner be taken without referee blowing for something ever again🫣🤷🏻♂️— James Maddison (@Madders10) September 13, 2025Spurs push to stay in the race for top fourSpurs are looking to keep pace with the rest of the league, with results elsewhere turning the pressure up as rivals collect points.Arsenal secured a win over Nottingham Forest, while Bournemouth also picked up three points, pushing Tottenham Hotspur further from the top four places and raising the stakes for Frank and his players.Following the London derby fixture, attention will now turn to Europe, with Thomas Frank continuing his reign as Tottenham manager as his side prepares for their upcoming UEFA Champions League clash against Villarreal.READ MORE: Tottenham half-time player ratings vs West Ham as Xavi Simons makes his debutThe post James Maddison slams ‘shocking’ referee and VAR after Tottenham controversy appeared first on Spurs Web.