When Manchester United and Tottenham go head-to-head, controversy is a given, and it usually tends to go in favour of Sir Alex Ferguson & Co.
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With 85 minutes on the clock, Manchester United were up one (perfectly legitimate) goal to nil.
Nani then broke into the area and went down under pressure from Kaboul.
Was it a penalty? It's clear the pressure put on Nani was not enough to bring him down, and he somewhat simulated his fall. But it's also clear that Kaboul did, at one stage, briefly tug back the winger with both hands, which is a foul. So perhaps it could have gone either way, depending on any given referee's interpretations of the rule.
Referee Mark Clattenburg did not give the penalty, but that was the least of the controversy.
After that, as Nani dramatically scrambled around on the floor, he scooped the ball with his hand. As no penalty had been given and the ball was still live, this, technically speaking, was a foul.
However, neither the referee nor his assistant blew or flagged for a foul.
They may not have seen the incident, or may have seen it, but then seen Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes pick up the ball moments later and, on that basis, waved play on. Spurs had recovered the advantage.
Gomes, though, then rolled it out to take what he believed was a free kick. Even most players on the pitch seemed to believe, because of the way Gomes had gathered the ball, that it was a free kick.
However, Nani was alive to the decision (or lack thereof) and jogged in front of Gomes before giving a couple of sheepish glances towards the referee and eventually - over the course of a few seconds that seemed to go on forever - tapping the ball in the net.
Blown fuses | But the matter of fact remains, the whistle was not Whether the initial incident was a penalty, a dive, or a non-issue is irrelevant.
Nani's handball was either not spotted or deemed 'cancelled out' by Spurs recovering possession via Gomes.
After Nani scored, Gomes immediately darted towards the referee's assistant, gesticulating frantically that Nani had handled the ball. Gomes had believed he was taking a free kick, but did so without realising that the whistle had never been blown.
Failure to play to the whistle cost Spurs in what was a cruel and confusing incident. They were already one down with just five minutes to go - so by recent standards, this was one of the less controversial encounters they've had with United - but ultimately, they will count themselves unfortunate to be on the receiving end of yet more confused officiating.
