Newcastle’s Late Penalty Sparks VAR Fury in Dramatic Draw
So, let me walk you through this wild moment from Newcastle’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham — a match that ended in drama, frustration, and a whole lot of debate about VAR. It was one of those nights at St James’ Park where the tension was already high, and then everything boiled over in the final minutes.
With the score tied at 1-1 heading into the 86th minute, Newcastle won a corner. Now, corners always come with a bit of pushing and shoving, and this one looked no different at first glance. Rodrigo Bentancur and Dan Burn got tangled up — both of them fell, both of them seemed to be grappling. The referee, Thomas Bramall, saw it in real time and decided there was nothing in it. Play continued. No penalty given. Pretty normal stuff.
But then VAR stepped in.
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Bramall was sent over to the pitchside monitor after officials noticed Bentancur holding Burn. And this is where everything changed. Even though it looked like a standard tussle where both players were involved, VAR judged that Bentancur wasn’t looking at the ball and was instead focused completely on Burn. After the review, the original decision was overturned, and a penalty was awarded to Newcastle.
Anthony Gordon stepped up, slotted it home, and suddenly Newcastle were back in front. The stadium erupted — but the reaction from the Spurs bench and their manager, Thomas Frank, was the complete opposite.
Frank didn’t hold back. He insisted it was an “absolute mistake” by VAR and said it clearly wasn’t a penalty in his eyes. He even mentioned that some Newcastle staff quietly agreed with him. His argument was pretty straightforward: incidents like this happen every single game, and if VAR is going to step in for minor contact like that, then penalties could be given constantly. He emphasized that VAR should only intervene when something is “clear and obvious,” and this, to him, wasn’t even close.
Even pundits across different broadcasters echoed the same frustration. Former players like Jamie Redknapp, Micah Richards, and Izzy Christiansen all questioned the lack of consistency. Their point was simple: holding happens at corners every week. If this one is a penalty, then dozens more should be too. Some even argued Burn was the one climbing over Bentancur, not the other way around.
But just when it looked like the controversy would cost Spurs the match, Cristian Romero produced a moment of pure magic. Deep into stoppage time, he launched himself into a stunning overhead kick to score the equalizer. It was a goal that not only saved Spurs a point but also took some of the sting out of the penalty decision.
In the end, the match finished level, but the debate definitely didn’t. VAR’s role, the definition of “clear and obvious,” and the idea of consistency in officiating—all of it has been thrown back into the spotlight. And for Newcastle and Tottenham fans, this one is probably going to be talked about for a long time.
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