Abdulhafiz TeslimNewcastle United were left frustrated after a controversial opening goal in their 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, but a former Premier League refereeing chief has now offered his assessment of the incident — and his verdict may not be what Magpies supporters wanted to hear.
The main talking point from the game came during Bournemouth’s opening goal, when Newcastle believed Anthony Elanga had been fouled in the build-up.
The incident involved Elanga and Bournemouth defender Adrien Truffert, with both players appearing to be involved in a physical tussle before Marcus Tavernier eventually found the net.
Newcastle appealed for a foul, but referee Rob Jones allowed play to continue. VAR subsequently checked the incident but decided that there was not enough reason to recommend that the on-field decision be overturned.
That decision understandably caused frustration among the Newcastle players and supporters, particularly because the goal gave Bournemouth an early advantage in a match the Magpies eventually had to fight back to rescue.
However, former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee Keith Hackett believes VAR was right to stay out of the situation.
According to Hackett, the important factor was that both players were involved in the holding, meaning the referee was faced with a judgement call rather than an obvious error that required VAR intervention.
Hackett explained that, in his view, the referee could have stopped the game and awarded a free-kick to the first player who committed an offence. However, because that decision was not made and the referee apparently judged Newcastle to have been the initial offender, play was allowed to continue.
The former referee therefore believes VAR was correct not to intervene.
For Newcastle, though, the bigger concern will arguably be their performance rather than the controversial goal.
Matthias Jaissle’s side struggled badly during the opening stages and were fortunate to remain within touching distance of Bournemouth for long periods. The hosts eventually showed considerable character to fight their way back into the contest and secure a point.
The statistics underline just how difficult the afternoon was for Newcastle.
The Magpies enjoyed 57 per cent possession and registered eight shots, with only two finding the target. They also managed just one big chance and recorded an expected-goals figure of 0.66.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, produced 15 shots, five on target and two big chances, while their 1.50 xG was more than double Newcastle’s figure.
Despite those numbers, Newcastle refused to give up.
Having fallen two goals behind, they managed to claw their way back into the game, with Jacob Ramsey producing the late intervention that secured a 2-2 draw.
The result means Newcastle remain unbeaten, although there is clearly plenty for Jaissle to address after a performance that left supporters concerned.
For now, the controversial opener will continue to attract attention. But according to Hackett, the officials did not make a VAR error by allowing Tavernier’s goal to stand.
The former PGMOL chief’s assessment is clear: the incident was ultimately a refereeing judgement call, and because VAR could not establish a clear and obvious error, there was no reason for the on-field decision to be overturned.
Newcastle will now have to put the controversy behind them and focus on their next challenge, with Millwall awaiting them in the Carabao Cup.
Abdulhafiz Teslim
