Eddie Howe claims ‘the Kai Havertz challenge is the only one that could have been a red’ and gives his verdict on vital VAR check that made furious Mikel Arteta ‘feel sick’
Havertz #Havertz
Eddie Howe has given his verdict on two controversial decisions that surrounded Newcastle’s 1-0 Premier league win against Arsenal.
The Magpies boss saw his side prevail in an ill-tempered clash thanks to Anthony Gordon’s 64th minute winner which enraged Gunners manager Mikel Arteta.
The 22-year-old’s strike was checked by VAR for three potential infractions: Whether the ball had gone out of play in the build-up, if Newcastle striker Joelinton had fouled Gabriel and whether Gordon was offside.
The goal was eventually given to the home side. A furious Arteta slammed the awarding, labelling it a ‘disgrace’ and ’embarrassing’.
But Howe disagreed and claimed only a potential foul on Gabriel would have been reasonable justification to chalk off the strike.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has given his verdict on two of the game’s most controversial decisions
Officials had to assess three separate incidents before the decision to award Gordon’s goal
Arteta claimed the decision to award the goal made him ‘feel sick’ in his post match interviews
‘I thought [the VAR check] was initially for a foul,’ he said. ‘I didn’t think it was but potentially Joelinton off the back of [Gabriel]. That’s all I could see that was possibly wrong.
‘But then obviously there’s the three checks. Thankfully none of them were pulled up on.’
St James’ Park played host to a feisty encounter that sparked into life following Kai Havertz’s late tackle on Sean Longstaff. Newcastle players were up in arms and surrounded the referee after the German’s reckless challenge and they were left stunned as Havertz escaped with a yellow card.
To add insult to injury, three Magpies players were cautioned for their passionate remonstrations to referee Stuart Attwell.
Later there was even more drama after Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes appeared to elbow Arsenal’s Jorginho on the back of his head – but he received no punishment from the official.
Midfielder Kai Havertz was cautioned for his reckless challenge on Sean Longstaff
Bruno Guimaraes, meanwhile, was not punished for an apparent elbow on Arsenal’s Jorginho
Howe insisted he had not seen the Brazilian’s misdemeanour and reckoned Havertz’s challenge was the only foul worthy of a dismissal.
‘For me that was the only moment in the game where I could see a red card.’ He continued. ‘You might tell me differently but that’s the only moment I could see.
‘I thought there was a lot of needless yellow cards, I didn’t think there needed to be that many apart from the Havertz tackle, I don’t think that may bad ones.
‘But it became very bitty, very stop start. A lot of controversial moments – I didn’t think it needed to be that way.’
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