Referee John Brooks shows the yellow card to Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez
Referee John Brooks shows the yellow card to Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez
Referee John Brooks would not have been expecting a quiet Sunday lunchtime affair when Newcastle United and Chelsea went head to head last weekend, and so he would not have been surprised by a hard-fought St James' Park contest.
The official was at the centre of some big decisions in front of another sell-out crowd, but appeared to get the majority right. Even Chelsea found it difficult to complain about Nicolas Jackson's red card, although there were several other big calls which had both sides appealing at various stages.
Jackson will now be suspended for the rest of the season - and the first game of next - after collecting a three-match ban for his challenge on Sven Botman, but there were at least two big penalty calls, some lucky escapes and that Bruno vs Enzo battle. Here's our verdict on the key decisions.
Early penalty appeal
Newcastle fans were screaming for an early penalty after Anthony Gordon got away from Moises Caicedo following a delightful pass from Tino Livramento. The United winger tumbled in the box as Caicedo tracked back, but appeals for a penalty were turned down. Thankfully, Sandro Tonali won the ball back from Romeo Lavia, before bursting into the box to get on the end of Jacob Murphy's cross to open the scoring.
Chronicle says: At first glance it looked as though United had a shout here, but replays show the referee got this spot on, with Caicedo winning the ball.
Caicedo's lucky escape
The £115m star was switched to a right-back role and was given a tough time by Gordon and Tino Livramento in the early stages. He may have got the challenge right in the opening minutes before Newcastle took the lead, but committed four fouls in an ill-tempered affair. He went straight through the back of Gordon on nine minutes but escaped punishment, and repeated the cynical foul on the half-hour mark, again with no yellow card.
Chronicle says: Caicedo could - and probably should - have seen red before Nicolas Jackson was sent off for two blatant yellow cards. You could argue he wouldn't have committed the second had he already been cautioned but with Fabian Schar booked for a similar challenge in the second half, the Ecuadorian could have had few complaints had he been dismissed.
Brutal Botman challenge
The game's big turning point came when Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson was sent off for a challenge on United defender Sven Botman. The Senegal striker was chasing down a long clearance when he led with his elbow when jumping with Botman, catching the Dutch defender in the face and neck. Referee Brooks initially awarded a yellow card, but upgraded it to a red after reviewing VAR evidence.
Chronicle says: Forget marginal offside decisions, this is exactly what VAR is for. The best view of the elbow came from video evidence, not from the referee's position, so you can perhaps understand his initial yellow. However it was clear from replays that it was a reckless challenge, even if the intent may not have been there, so the right decision was made by the officials.
Second penalty shout
The second half was more about Chelsea pressing, with Newcastle looking to hit them on the break and exploit gaps. Livramento again played in Gordon down the left-hand side, but this time he found half-time sub Reece James far better positioned to deal with the threat. There was a coming together, with Gordon sent sprawling in front of the Gallowgate, but the referee was unmoved.
Chronicle says: Another one that looked a lot worse on first viewing, but the replay from behind the goal shows James winning the ball with a well-timed challenge, so no issues here.
Brazil vs Argentina
Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes clashed with Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez as they awaited for a corner to arrive, with both receiving a talking to from referee Brooks. Bruno did appear to hold Fernandez at one stage, but it appeared as though they were both as guilty as each other. Bruno continued to dog Fernandez and was eventually booked for a late challenge on the Argentinian.
Chronicle says: This one got a bit spicy in the latter stages, and considering Fernandez was already on a booking after earlier losing his cool, he was treading a thin line. Bruno loves a bit of a wind-up though, and you couldn't argue about his eventual yellow card. In hindsight, the referee was probably wise to let this one blow itself out without taking any unnecessary action.