Newcastle United benefited from several favorable refereeing decisions during their 1-1 draw with Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon.
It appeared Newcastle might lose when Dango Ouattara scored a potential injury-time winner, but VAR intervened and controversially disallowed the goal for handball.
Eddie Howe described the disallowed goal as a “surprise” and admitted his players had not appealed for the handball before VAR’s review.
Earlier in the match, another contentious decision occurred when referee David Coote issued a yellow card to Joelinton for raising his arm to prevent goalkeeper Neto from initiating a counter-attack.
Though VAR reviewed the incident due to Joelinton’s raised arm, the final decision remained a yellow card.
Dermot Gallagher’s Take on Joelinton’s Booking
Joelinton received a yellow card for the incident, which sparked controversy. On Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, former Premier League official Dermot Gallagher commented on the challenge. He argued, “In no way is this a red card. His intention was simply to delay the goalkeeper [Neto] from getting the ball upfield for a counter-attack.”
Gallagher noted that while it may appear severe because the goalkeeper was in motion, Joelinton only made contact with Neto’s chest, not his throat or face. He described the act as “reckless and unsporting,” suggesting that although it was not a red card, it was still problematic.
Gallagher’s statement appears contradictory, as describing a challenge as “reckless” often implies it could warrant a red card. Ultimately, Newcastle was fortunate not only to avoid defeat but also to remain with 11 players on the pitch against Bournemouth.
Joelinton, who had been praised by Shearer for his performance against Southampton, was indeed lucky not to face a potentially disastrous red card in this match.
