Controversial Non-Penalty Decision in Newcastle vs Chelsea Match
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe expressed his belief that his team was denied a "stonewall" penalty during their 2-2 draw against Chelsea. The incident in question occurred in the 53rd minute when Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah collided with Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon inside the penalty area.
Howe and the home crowd vocally protested for a penalty; however, after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, the on-field decision to not award the penalty was upheld.
At the time of the incident, Newcastle was leading 2-1, and the match ended with the home fans expressing their displeasure through boos, as the team had squandered a 2-0 lead to settle for a draw.
In a clarification of the decision, the Premier League Match Centre stated on X: "The referee's call of no penalty to Newcastle was checked and confirmed by VAR. The contact from Chalobah on Gordon was deemed to be side-to-side in a shielding action, with the ball within playing distance."
Howe, whose team has dropped a league-high 13 points from winning positions this season, remarked, "I thought it was a stonewall penalty, and the defender approached it with excessive aggression. Anywhere else on the pitch, that would be a free-kick. I’m really disappointed that it wasn’t given."
Former Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given shared his views with BBC Sport, stating, "Chalobah didn’t play the ball, and I felt it was more than just a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge. At the very least, I think the referee should have reviewed it again. The match centre described it as shielding the ball out of play, but Chalobah wasn’t shielding anything, so Chelsea were fortunate there."
Ally McCoist, a former Rangers striker, also supported Howe's assertion of a "stonewall" penalty and expressed his astonishment that on-field referee Andy Madley was not directed to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.
Darren Cann, a former Premier League assistant referee, explained to BBC Sport, "The VAR can only send the referee to the monitor if they believe a clear and obvious error has occurred. In this case, Peter Bankes felt that wasn’t the situation due to the high threshold for VAR intervention. Had a penalty been awarded on the field, I believe VAR would have upheld that decision as well."
Commenting on the incident, former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin described Chalobah's challenge as "risky with bells on it" during a broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live. He noted, "Chalobah never got the ball; it was a shoulder challenge on Gordon, making it a significant call for the referee to not award a penalty."
Peter Crouch, a former Premier League striker, remarked that Chalobah was "lucky" following his "aggressive attempt" to win the ball, while former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole called the tackle "overzealous." Cann, who has officiated over 1,000 professional matches, commented, "At normal speed, I understand why the referee didn’t award a penalty. Chalobah certainly took a risk with the challenge, as there was clear contact with Gordon. The VAR reviewed the decision and concluded that no clear and obvious error had been made, thus supporting the referee's on-field decision of no penalty."
Cann further suggested that it would be beneficial for VAR to have the option to advise referees to review certain incidents, stating, "This one is in the margins, so you might want to take a second look yourself." However, he emphasized that such a facility is not currently available to VARs, who can only instruct the referee to review a decision if they believe a clear and obvious error has been made.
Chalobah's Fortunate Escape
Analysis by Dale Johnson, football issues reporter
Trevoh Chalobah was notably fortunate to avoid conceding a penalty. Challenging an attacker shoulder-to-shoulder, or side-to-side as described by the Premier League Match Centre, is typically not considered a foul.
There have been numerous shoulder-to-shoulder incidents that the Premier League's Key Match Incidents Panel has determined did not warrant a VAR review. For example, last season, Ipswich Town's Dara O'Shea appeared to aggressively shove Tottenham's Kevin Danso off the ball.
Similarly, shielding is often how defenders manage the ball out of play. However, in this instance, Chalobah's right leg made clear lower-body contact with Gordon, indicating that he had committed a foul in his attempt to shield the ball.