Newcastle handball penalty vs Qarabag and Eddie Howe
Credit: Imago, cytavision sports
Oliver Walton
Wed 18 February 2026 19:44, UK
Keith Hackett has said that Newcastle should not have been awarded their first penalty against Qarabag after Harvey Barnes’ shot hit Matheus Silva’s arm as he fell down in the area.
The former PGMOL chief and FIFA referee has told Football Insider that referee Espen Eskas was wrong to give Newcastle a spot-kick, as handball with the arm that is blocking a player’s fall is allowed within IFAB laws.
Newcastle raced into an unassailable 5-0 lead at half-time in Baku and eventually won 6-1 to all but seal their passage into the Champions League round of 16.
Anthony Gordon and Malick Thiaw put Eddie Howe’s side 2-0 up inside the first 10 minutes, and Gordon scored their third goal from the spot in the 32nd minute.
Match official Eskas checked Silva’s handball with VAR and saw fit to allow the Magpies a chance to extend their lead, but should not have done so.
Anthony Gordon in action for Newcastle
Credit: Imago
Newcastle should not have been awarded a penalty for Matheus Silva’s handball
Newcastle were showing no signs of letting up after taking an early lead against Qarabag, with one of many attacks seeing Barnes take a shot from the edge of the area that was blocked by Silva.
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The English side’s players instantly screamed for a spot-kick, but play went on until VAR official Rob Dieperink recommended Eskas to go to the monitor and review the incident.
Replays showed that the ball was blocked by the arm of the Qarabag defender as he fell to the ground, but IFAB laws state that an offence can not be committed if the ball hits a player’s supporting arm.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Hackett insisted that a penalty should not have been given, saying: “The law clearly shows that the award of a penalty kick was the incorrect decision.”
Which records were broken in Newcastle’s rout against Qarabag?
Despite a drop off in the second half, Newcastle were well worth their win in Baku and should now progress to the next round with ease after next week’s second leg on Tyneside.
Several records were broken by Eddie Howe’s side on the night, with Opta claiming that their 4.5 expected goals (xG) in the first half was the most ever generated in the opening 45 minutes of a Champions League match on record.
The Newcastle Champions League records Anthony Gordon has broken tonight already:
Most caps – 15 🧢
Most goals – joint with Alan Shearer – 7 ⚽
Fastest goal the club has scored – 122 seconds ⏲️ pic.twitter.com/CpiZ9Z94FM
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) February 18, 2026
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The 6-1 win is their biggest ever in the competition, and it was particularly a record-breaking night for Gordon, who scored the most goals of any Newcastle player in a single UCL game (4).
He also overtook Alan Shearer as their highest UCL scorer of all-time (10), and scored the fastest UCL goal in their history (122 seconds).