Footie fans are seeing red! A penalty awarded to Newcastle against Tottenham has sparked outrage, with even Spurs' rivals crying foul. Was it a legit call, or a case of VAR gone wild?
The drama unfolded when Rodrigo Bentancur was judged to have tangled with Newcastle's towering Dan Burn in the penalty box. Cue the VAR review, and the ref pointed to the spot.
Anthony Gordon coolly slotted home the penalty, putting Newcastle ahead, but many were left scratching their heads. Was there really enough contact to justify the call?
Bentancur's arms *did* seem to be around Burn as Bruno Guimaraes whipped in a corner. But then the 6ft 7in Burn appeared to run right over the much smaller Bentancur before taking a tumble.
Referee Tom Bramall initially waved play on, seemingly unimpressed. But VAR Paul Tierney had other ideas, summoning Bramall to the monitor for a second look.
And just like that, the ref changed his mind, awarding the penalty that sent Spurs fans into a frenzy.
Social media exploded with disbelief. "Daylight robbery at St James Park!" one fan fumed. "How is that a penalty? I hate Spurs but that’s a horrendous VAR call. Cheats!"
Another chimed in: "This is NEVER a penalty. Tottenham were robbed." The anger was palpable.
One particularly enraged supporter declared it "the worst decision I’ve ever seen in football," accusing officials of "vile" behavior and claiming Spurs were "robbed so badly."
Even the Premier League Match Centre's explanation on X did little to quell the fury. They cited a "holding offence" and claimed Bentancur "clearly does not look at the ball."
But not everyone was buying it. Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher sided with the outraged fans, arguing that Bentancur wasn't trying to bring Burn down.
"I am surprised by that," Carragher confessed. "This would be harsh. At the end, he is trying to get away from Burn." Harsh indeed!
Rio Ferdinand echoed Carragher's sentiments, tweeting: "Disgraceful decision to reward #NUFC penalty… whoever controlling the VAR should be ashamed and the ref then reviews and should be also. Well done Newcastle."
Despite the perceived injustice, Tottenham showed some fighting spirit. Cristian Romero, not one to back down, scored a stunning 95th-minute overhead kick. Talk about a dramatic response!
Earlier in the game, Romero had also leveled the score with a diving header, responding to Bruno Guimaraes' earlier goal. A busy night for the Spurs captain!
So, was it a penalty? A dive? Or just another example of VAR causing chaos? The debate rages on, leaving fans and pundits alike divided.
One thing's for sure: this controversial call will be dissected and debated for weeks to come. Is VAR helping or hurting the beautiful game?
And will Spurs ever catch a break? It seems like controversy follows them wherever they go.
Ultimately, the game ended in a draw, but the sting of that penalty decision lingers. Was justice served? Or was it a classic case of footballing robbery?
What do *you* think? Sound off in the comments below!
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