Newcastle United latest news: The Premier League have released a statement after a controversial VAR incident during the Magpies’ clash with Spurs.
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The Premier League have revealed why Newcastle United were given a penalty in the final stages of their draw with Tottenham Hotspur at St James’ Park.
The score was evenly poised at 1-1 at the time of the incident as Bruno Guimaraes’ opener was cancelled out by a header from Cristian Romero. It was a tale of two captains at that point with Brazilian and Argentine internationals the headline stealers.
However, by the end of the game all talk surrounded VAR’s intervention in Newcastle United’s second goal and the decision by Thomas Bramall to overturn his initial call of no penalty.
It was, though, Guimaraes’ corner that led to the incident as Rodrigo Bentancur, another South American influence in the game, was judged to have fouled Dan Burn at the back post. Bentancur and Burn had been somewhat engaged in a wrestling match but it was judged that the Spurs man had been more forceful during the exchange.
Premier League release VAR statement
Initial protests from Burn fell on deaf ears as he pleaded with the referee, but before play could restart with a goal kick, VAR instructed Bramall to have a second look at the incident. He did so and opted to change his decision.
As ever, the Premier League Match Centre explained the decision on X, writing: ‘#NEWTOT – 82’ VAR OVERTURN. After VAR review, the referee overturned the original decision of no penalty to Newcastle United. Referee announcement: “After review, Tottenham number 30 makes a holding offence at the back post and clearly does not look at the ball. My final decision is penalty kick.”’
Anthony Gordon ultimately stepped up to convert the kick, sending Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario the wrong way to net his first Premier League goal since January. Nick Woltemade, who scored an unbelievable spot-kick during their win over Nottingham Forest in October, had the ball in his hands before passing it to his teammate to take.
However, that goal would not turn out to be the winning goal as a back-and-forth second half took one final twist as Romero netted an audacious overhead kick in stoppage time to rescue a point for the visitors.
Many neutrals, and certainly those of a Tottenham persuasion, would judge that Romero’s goal was justice for what many believe was a fairly soft penalty given in the Magpies’ favour.
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Certainly, that was the view of Jamie Carragher who, on Sky Sports duty, described the decision as ‘harsh’. Jonathan Woodgate, meanwhile, admitted he would be ‘surprised’ to see it given as the VAR check was in progress.
Both sides tried in vain to grab a late winner but ultimately had to settle with a point apiece, one that does neither side too much good in the race for European football. Both have Premier League games to contend with at the weekend before playing their sixth Champions League game of the league phase next week.
Newcastle United’s next two games come against Burnley and Bayer Leverkusen before they face the trip to the Stadium of Light to take on Sunderland in the first Wear-Tyne derby of the season.