Chelsea came back from a two-goal deficit with some energetic play in the second half to save them from a 2-2 draw with Newcastle.
But Newcastle will regret video assistant referee Peter Banks’ controversial decision not to award a penalty when Trevor Chalobah pushed Anthony Gordon to the floor in the 55th minute when they were leading 2-1.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said: “That was a clear penalty.” However, VAR agreed with the decision not to punish the Chelsea defender who was deemed to be ‘shielded’.
Chelsea’s Reece James gestures to traveling fans after taking a free-kick against Newcastle
Chelsea arrived at St James’ Park in the spotlight, a week after head coach Enzo Maresca was unable to explain his comments about last weekend’s “worst 48 hours at the club” and was linked with a move to Manchester City. But the way the visitors fought back at lunchtime on Saturday showed the players were still fighting for him.
But Newcastle will be disappointed after last weekend’s loss to arch-rivals Sunderland, as Nick Waltemaid’s first-half double – the first time a German player has scored twice in a Magpies match – wasn’t enough to seal a much-needed victory.
The striker was in a great position to give the hosts the lead after just four minutes after some great approach play from Jacob Murphy and a mistake from Wesley Fofana, but he doubled their lead in the 20th minute.
Newcastle United’s Nick Waltemaide celebrates after scoring second goal against Chelsea
This time Gordon did some impressive work on the left, and from his inviting cross Volthemed guided the ball just inside the far post, with the semi-automatic offside technique failing and the goal finally confirmed after a lengthy VAR check.
Chelsea’s impressive fightback
Newcastle didn’t have a shot on target after 28 minutes, but it took a moment of brilliance from Reece James to give the Blues a lifeline.
Standing on top of a 30-yard free-kick, the Chelsea captain curled his shot over the wall and into the inside of the post, but Aaron Ramsdale stretched out at his best but was helpless. From there, the momentum changed.
The hosts will point to their decision not to award Chalobah a spot-kick after he cleared Gordon in the box, but former Premier League referee Mike Dean called the incident “100 per cent a penalty” on Saturday Football.
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Mike Dean reacts after Newcastle are denied a penalty in their Premier League match against Chelsea
However, Chelsea deservedly equalized midway through the second half thanks to an unexpected assist from Robert Sanchez. Sanchez’s long clearance saw Joao Pedro do a great job of parrying his marker Malick Thiau and sliding to the floor, but he darted out and curled his shot under Ramsdale.
Chelsea remain fourth, but Eddie Howe’s side have moved up to 11th ahead of the weekend’s remaining games.
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On Soccer Saturday, Paul Merson and Chris Boyd discuss Enzo Maresca’s ‘outburst’ in which he appeared to criticize Chelsea’s hierarchy and reflect on his future at the club
What the managers said…
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said of the decision not to penalize Chalobah for his tackle on Gordon:
“Yes, I thought the Anthony Gordon free-kick was the standout kick for me, I think it was a blatant free-kick elsewhere on the pitch.
“When it came to VAR and of course they checked everything, I thought this was going to be overturned. As I’ve seen, this is a clear penalty so this is a clear mistake. I think the defenders are only focusing on Ant.”
“They say it’s a shield, but I don’t agree with that analysis, so it’s a real shame that it wasn’t given.
“I think this was the only decision that was wrong. I think that’s where VAR really needs to intervene. Yes, it’s a difficult problem to solve. I thought it was obvious when I saw it live.”
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca:
“I think they definitely deserved to win the game after the first half was over. From my point of view, after the second half was over, we deserved to win the game. This is my view.”
“After the second goal we scored, I think we had three or four clear chances to score another. We also had a game with[Harvey]Barnes, but that’s the only time I remember having any real chances. But overall I think the draw was the right one.”
