Newcastle evening headlines include an explanation for VAR, a tribute to Arteta, and a condemnation of racist behavior.
Following the Magpies’ triumph over Arsenal, here are all of the newest Newcastle United headlines, including updates on Mikel Arteta, VAR, Jamaal Lascelles, and more.
VAR clarification
Newcastle United fans erupted after Anthony Gordon slammed the ball home. The genuine celebrations, however, would have to wait another four minutes after as many as THREE different VAR checks to determine whether the Magpies’ opening should be chalked off.
Joe Willock was ruled to have held the ball near the corner flag, Joelinton did not appear to foul Gabriel in the six-yard box, and Gordon was ruled to be onside. Mikel Arteta’s fury began when the goal stood.
After the game, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger lashed out at the match officials, and with that in mind, he will not want to hear VAR’s reasoning for the Gordon offside call. According to Sky, Stockley Park officials stated they didn’t have the necessary video angle to determine Joelinton’s specific point of contact.
As a result, they couldn’t tell if Gordon was in an offside position in the seconds before scoring. The referees requested more time to analyze all available footage before finding there was no apparent reason for the goal to be thrown out.
The decision of Neville and Keown
Gary Neville disagreed with Martin Keown’s decision on Match of the Day, believing that allowing Newcastle United’s winning goal against Arsenal to stand was the ‘right’ judgment. Anthony Gordon’s second-half goal was the subject of a triple VAR review, and it was enough to give Eddie Howe’s team a 1-0 win over the Gunners.
With the initial review unable to determine whether Arsenal should have been granted a goal kick, Joe Willock battled to keep the ball in play. After David Raya missed the cross, Joelinton was ruled not to have fouled Gabriel, and the final check could not determine Gordon was offside as he thundered the ball into the net.
Gunners icon Martin Keown joined former Liverpool and Tottenham player Danny Murphy as pundits on Saturday night’s episode of Match of the Day. The former defender was sure that Gabriel was fouled and felt that the decision to let Newcastle’s goal to stand was ‘nearly everything wrong’.
Arteta’s remembrance
Mikel Arteta paid tribute to a ‘great team’ in Newcastle United, but the Arsenal manager was’sickened’ by the officials’ decision to allow Anthony Gordon’s winner.
Gordon scored the game’s sole goal midway through the second half after slamming the ball into the net. Three independent VAR checks were performed to determine whether the goal should have stood.
The first check was to see if Joe Willock had kept the ball in play before crossing it; the second was to see if Joelinton had fouled Gabriel when the ball entered the area; and the third and final check was to see if Gordon was offside when he struck the ball. The officials at Stockley Park checked for more than four minutes before giving referee Stuart Attwell the all-clear, which enraged Arteta on a night when his team failed to test Nick Pope after falling behind – and mustered only one tame effort on goal throughout the game.
Racism is condemned.
Following Newcastle United’s 1-0 win over Arsenal, Joe Willock and Bruno Guimaraes faced racial abuse online, with the club vowing to take aggressive measures to find the perpetrators. The vitriol came in the aftermath of Newcastle’s triumph against Arsenal, but the club responded quickly.
“Newcastle United strongly condemns racist abuse directed at Bruno Guimares and Joe Willock via social media following Saturday’s victory over Arsenal,” the club said in a statement. Our message is unequivocal. Racism has no place in football or in society.”
Lascelles calls himself vindicated.
With hefty offers from Turkey on the table, Newcastle United captain Jamaal Lascelles could have easily walked away from St James’ Park in the summer. But the club captain, who led the Magpies out in Championship games at Barnsley and Burton, refuses to give up on his ambition of glory at Newcastle.
Lascelles told me immediately after the takeover in 2021 that he still hoped to be the one to win the elusive first piece of trophy in a new era on Tyneside. But, despite his hopes of staying at United, last season was a test of his commitment and patience, with only two Premier League starts, both of which ended in loss.
With Sven Botman and Fabian Schar developing an outstanding partnership in the back, you had to wonder if Lascelles’ time was up. There was also interest from Premier League clubs last summer, but Lascelles turned it down. The intention for Lascelles to stay became clear in a chilly Press conference room in Philadelphia.
