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Newcastle frustrated by contentious decisions during 3-3 draw with Liverpool

Newcastle were left rather frustrated by a number of contentious decisions during their 3-3 draw with Liverpool on Wednesday night.

Eddie Howe took issue with the officiating, as did the fans, after referee Andy Madley ended the match while Newcastle was executing a promising counter-attack, with Aleksandar Isak in possession of the ball.

Additionally, Newcastle voiced their discontent regarding two significant calls that went against the Magpies. The first involved a VAR review that opted not to penalise Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk for a collision with Anthony Gordon in the penalty area during the first half.

Jarell Quansah also escaped punishment for appearing to trip Isak in the penalty area in the second half.

“I thought it was a penalty on Alex, but I haven’t seen a replay, that was just an initial thought,” said Howe.

“I was surprised by the final whistle because I think we’d spent around two minutes on a free-kick in extra-time, so I was expecting seven minutes to be played. I think it was 5.15 when he’s blown, so that was a blow because it looked like we were in a good position.

“Then, I think VAR looked at (the Van Dijk and Gordon incident) and concluded nothing happened, so we have to accept it. I was surprised by it initially though.”

Howe was also reportedly irritated by the behaviour of Arne Slot, who made his way to the referee’s room after the final whistle to speak to Madley, whose decided to book Alexis Mac Allister, meaning it’ll see him suspended for the game against Everton on Saturday.

Howe said: “I don’t think I’ll go there. I think that’s a can of worms. I tend to focus on my team.”

Newcastle went 1-0 up on the 35th minute, thanks to Isak, then Mo Salah set up Curtis Jones to level the scoreline just minutes into the second half.

Gordon then put Magpies 2-1 up with just under half an hour to go, before Salah continued his hot run of form by scoring twice to put the Reds ahead.

Schar met Bruno Guimaraes’ deep free-kick with a perfect finish right at the end to snatch a deserved point for Newcastle.

Howe said: “It’s mixed emotions. Part of me feels we should have won it, a big part of me, but part of me is pleased we didn’t lose either because it was such a late goal for us.

“Generally, I’m just pleased with the performance. There was much more attacking output, a much better feel about the team. There was much better energy, and it was a really good performance against, for me, the best team we’ve played so far this season in the Premier League. So, it was a big jump forward for us.”

The post-match press conference from Howe worth a watch, more explaining about those refereeing decisions…

Newcastle assistant Jason Tindall is said to have aimed a dig at the Liverpool bench, as it seems both teams’ staff ended up feeling they were hard done by.

Arne Slot also felt his side were unfairly penalised ‘every time’ they made contact with a Newcastle player, while also venting that there were strong appeals for a penalty late in the second half when Dan Burn had blocked an Alexis Mac Allister shot inside the box.

Despite the ball hitting Burton, no penalty was given due to the short distance of travel and the fact his arms were in a natural position – a decision upheld by both Madley and VAR.

Liverpool’s staff, including Slot, weren’t happy on the sidelines, passionately arguing with the fourth official, it caught the attention of Newcastle assistant Jason Tindall. who then could be heard repeatedly telling the opposition bench to ‘shut up’.

But despite the frustration surrounding the officiating, Slot was keen to deflect blame, stating that the numerous decisions made during the match are shared responsibilities between players, coaching staff, and officials alike.

“It was an intense encounter, and all decisions link back to players, myself, the coaching team, and the referee; they can significantly influence the game. These subtle nuances can make a difference, and we always strive to control what we can.

“Ultimately, I didn’t feel we crossed any lines today. There were instances where we believed we could have won a free-kick, and Newcastle had their own moments of protest. This is typical in high-stakes matches where emotions surge not only from the fans but also within our camp. I truly don’t believe the referee swayed the final outcome this afternoon.”

Slot continued, “There were stages in the match where securing a draw seemed an acceptable outcome, particularly during the first half. However, following our equaliser, I felt we were exceptionally strong, creating numerous quality opportunities. Then, leading 3-2 deep into injury time, it’s only natural to feel disheartened to lose those two points at the last hurdle.”

Player ratings (per Sky Sports):

Newcastle: Pope (7), Hall (7), Schar (7), Burn (6), Livramento (7), Bruno (7), Tonali (7), Joelinton (6), Isak (8), Gordon (7), Murphy (6).

Subs:Barnes (n/a), Wilson (n/a), Longstaff (n/a), Willock (n/a).

Liverpool:Kelleher (5), Gomez (6), Van Dijk (6), Quansah (6), Robertson (6), Jones (7), Mac Allister (6), Gravenberch (6), Salah (8), Nunez (6), Gakpo (7).

Subs:Diaz (6), Szoboszlai (6), Alexander-Arnold (7).

Player of the match: Mohamed Salah.

Fans gave their reaction with Newcastle frustrated by contentious decisions during the 3-3 draw with Liverpool…

@richardson_sam:
Virgil Van Dijk clattering Gordon off the ball.
Nothing.
Quansah tripping Isak in the box.
Nothing.
Newcastle 4 on 2 counter in dying seconds.
Ref blows for FT.
The agenda to protect the elite is so fucking blatant.
#nufc #PremierLeague

@JakLee11: 😂😂😂😂 van dijk smashing Gordon in the face goes unnoticed as well… when it’s your year it’s your year

@markead: 100% red card. Blatant. Never a coming together. Disgrace. Usual VAR check over as it’s Liverpool

@curtis_harper: How has Van Dijk got away with barging Gordon in the face well away from the ball there 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

@ColmRose94: Andy Madley with a contender for worst refereeing performance of the season tonight, be hard to top that #NEWLIV #NUFC

@StyleMachineIl1: #NUFC Madley blows up as WE’RE ON THE ATTACK? HHHMMM, WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED?

@neilTheMagpie: I expect the @FA_PGMOL will provide a full and detailed explanation as to why Madley blew exactly on time during an #NUFC attack 🤔

@Itzstuie1: Don’t think I’ve seen a worse ref performance than tonight. He’s missed a penalty at arguably both sides, missed a red card and thrown yellows all over. Then to top it off he blows the whistle on a counter. Madley is a corrupt pig

@Firephilo: Don’t care what you say. Van dijk left one on Gordon and it’s a red card all day long. What is the point in VAR #NEWLIV

@PhilPowell2: Terrible performance by Andy Madely and VAR last night. Van Dijk’s clearly intentional shoulder in the face on Gordon, Quansah’s clear foul on Isak in the box, outrageous final whistle call. Job done Liverpool protected – Premier League happy

@NUFCblogcouk:
🤯 Andy Madley blowing at 95:15 was an absolute disgrace.
5 minutes allocated, but in that time we saw:
• VAR check for Longstaff/Diaz
• Corner for Liverpool
• Stop in play for Isak free kick
• Liverpool goal kick
At LEAST a minute needed to be added.
#NUFC #LFC

@ToonMouthTyne: Madley match-fixing it at the end for good measure. #NUFC

@WestHamPlace: How has Andy Madley blown the final whistle there? Literally couldn’t be anymore obvious that Liverpool weren’t to lose this match tonight

@sithompson84: Genuinely can’t believe he blew when he did

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