Newcastle United 2-2 Chelsea: Joe Buck match reaction
Newcastle United latest news: Newcastle United have written to the PGMOL following the VAR controversy during their draw with Chelsea at the weekend.
Eddie Howe has confirmed that Newcastle United have written to the Professional Game Match Official Limited (PGMOL) to seek clarity over the decision to not award them a penalty during their draw with Chelsea at the weekend.
The Magpies were aggrieved when referee Andy Madley didn’t point to the spot following Trevoh Chalobah’s tackle on Anthony Gordon. The score was poised delicately at 2-1 at the time, with the hosts denied the chance to double their lead and possibly put the game out of sight.
VAR did check the incident but Peter Bankes, the man operating the technology at Stockley Park, ultimately opted to stay with Madley’s decision, much to the frustration of those at St James’ Park. In the immediate aftermath of that call, the Premier League Match Centre released a statement on the decision, writing on X: “The referee’s call of no penalty to Newcastle was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the contact from Chalobah on Gordon deemed to be side-to-side in a shielding action and the ball within playing distance.”
Speaking to the media on Tuesday morning, Howe confirmed that the club had written to the PGMOL to seek clarity on that decision: “Yes, we will be seeking clarification.
“That call has already gone in, not from me personally, but from the club. We just want to know the thought process behind the decision.”
Asked if the feedback will change how his side approach defending in the penalty box, Howe added: “That’s a dangerous thing! I wouldn’t want to train my players to deliver that kind of challenge in the box. That would give the referee a decision to make.
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“One of the arts of defending is not to put yourself in that position. I still believe it was a clear penalty having reviewed it. But it wasn’t given and my time is best spent looking forward and not back.”
Ex-referee reacts to Newcastle United v Chelsea VAR controversy
As ever, Sky Sports Ref Watch analysed that decision on Monday morning, with both former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher and former Cardiff City striker Jay Bothroyd in agreement that the wrong call had been made by Madley and the VAR officials.
“I think it’s a penalty,” Gallagher said. “If you look at it [Chalobah] is aggressive, he’s nowhere near the ball, he looks at the man rather than the ball. I think it’s a penalty.”
Bothroyd, meanwhile took aim at the VAR explanation as to why a penalty wasn’t awarded to Newcastle due to Chalobah supposedly ‘shielding’ the ball out of play: “They said that he was shielding the ball out,” he added. “Shielding the ball out is not like that.
“This is one thing that really annoys me when it comes to defenders, shielding the ball is when the ball is here [between defender and byline] and you’re not letting the attacker come around you, that’s what it is.
“To describe that scenario as shielding the ball, it’s more of a body check because no one is in control of the ball, if anything Anthony Gordon is running in the line of the ball. Trevoh Chalobah has just come across and body checked him out of the way.
“That should be a penalty all day, anywhere else on the pitch it’s a free-kick.”
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