Newcastle United had to settle for a point against Chelsea but the outcome of the game could and should have been very different.
Buoyed by the win over Fulham in midweek, Newcastle were looking to get back on track in the league after the dire showing against Sunderland.
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It was a dream start for the Magpies too, with Nick Woltemade scoring twice in the opening 20 minutes. Newcastle fans were delighted with Woltemade, but the dream didn’t last long.
However, a collapse in the second half saw the Blues get back into the game. Underpinning the whole situation, though, was a strong penalty shout for Newcastle.
Alan Shearer says Newcastle were robbed of a penalty
With the score delicately poised at 2-1, a lively Anthony Gordon ran into the box to collect a pass. But, he was aggressively barged off the ball by Trevoh Chalobah.
Referee Andy Madley did not give a foul, and VAR did not intervene.
Discussing that bizarre decision on Premier League Productions, Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer was dumbfounded.
He said: “This for me is as clear penalty as you’re going to see. They took over three minutes to get to an on-field decision in the first half with VAR. And how they can’t recommend the referee go and see this is beyond me.
“It’s a clear penalty. He’s not interested in the ball. He takes the man out. He’s not protecting the ball. He’s not shielding the ball. He just wipes Anthony Gordon out. That for me is a clear penalty and they get it terribly wrong.”
Indeed, Mark Clattenburg felt Newcastle deserved a penalty, too. Very few can disagree, but what’s done is done.
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What could have been for Newcastle United
Had that penalty shout gone Newcastle’s way, there is almost no doubt Anthony Gordon would have stepped up and scored. His impeccable penalty record speaks for itself.
That would likely have put the game beyond Chelsea at 3-1, too. And those three points would have been invaluable for Newcastle as they look to ascend the table.
Instead of sitting in the bottom half still, Newcastle could have been up to ninth on 24 points, and would have been just one behind Chelsea in the Champions League spots.
It’s yet another case of Newcastle dropping points from winning positions, and clearly, Eddie Howe and the players have not fixed that worrying mentality issue yet.
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