Premier League Drop Statement on ‘Disgraceful’ Penalty in Newcastle 2-2 Spurs
Tottenham supporters were left furious after Newcastle United were awarded a controversial penalty during their clash at St James’ Park—a decision that allowed Anthony Gordon to put the hosts back in front. The Premier League later issued an explanation outlining why the spot-kick was given, though the clarification did little to calm the anger among Spurs fans.
The match had taken a dramatic turn in the second half. Bruno Guimarães opened the scoring for Newcastle in the 71st minute, drilling home to give his side a deserved advantage. Tottenham responded quickly, with Cristian Romero finding the equaliser only a few minutes later, briefly shifting the momentum back in their favour.
However, the game’s defining moment arrived roughly ten minutes after Tottenham’s leveller. VAR alerted referee Thomas Bramall to a potential incident inside the box during a Newcastle corner. The footage highlighted a tussle between Spurs midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur and Magpies defender Dan Burn. While the pair were clearly grappling for position, replays did not appear to show significant force or any action that obviously impeded Burn. Even so, after being sent to the pitchside monitor, Bramall overturned his original decision and awarded Newcastle a penalty—sparking disbelief among the Tottenham players and the travelling supporters packed into the away end.
Premier League Explains the Decision
In the aftermath, the Premier League sought to justify the call through a statement on its Match Centre account on X. The explanation read:
“After VAR review, the referee overturned the original decision of no penalty to Newcastle United.”
It was followed by the referee’s formal announcement:
“After review, Tottenham number 30 makes a holding offence at the back post and clearly does not look at the ball. My final decision is penalty kick.”
Despite this clarification, many observers were still far from convinced. The decision became an immediate talking point among pundits, fans, and former professionals. Jamie Carragher, on Sky Sports commentary, described the penalty as “harsh,” expressing surprise that VAR had intervened on such a marginal incident.
Rio Ferdinand went even further in his criticism. Posting on X, the former Manchester United defender blasted the call, writing:
“Disgraceful decision to reward #NUFC penalty… whoever is controlling the VAR should be ashamed, and the ref then reviews and should be also. Well done Newcastle.”
The controversy added another layer of debate to the ongoing discussion about VAR’s influence on the Premier League, once again raising questions about consistency, interpretation, and whether the technology is being used as intended.