Glenn Hoddle has blasted David Coote’s decision not to award Newcastle United a penalty against Chelsea. Magpies fans were furious when Trevoh Chalobah appeared to foul Jacob Murphy in the 57th minute of Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge - only for the referee to give a corner instead.
A resilient Toon side kept the Champions League holders at bay until the dying embers when Kai Havertz’s last-gasp strike handed all three points to the hosts. The German could have been sent off in the first half following a collision with Newcastle defender Dan Burn but, once again, VAR failed to intervene and Chelsea were unpunished.
The defeat ended the Magpies' nine-game unbeaten run but supporters feel the result was unjustified due to the spot-kick controversy. Former Blues player-manager Hoddle sympathises with Newcastle fans and agrees that the referee made the wrong call.
Read more: National media verdict on Newcastle's defeat at Chelsea
“It’s a penalty,” he told Premier League Productions. “The first pull was outside of the box, then Chalobah continued to hold onto him. I am thinking ‘what is he doing?’ It goes to VAR, you are thinking ‘it’s got to be a penalty’.
“I don’t understand it. I really don’t. Anywhere on the pitch, wherever you see a shirt being pulled. It’s always a booking. It’s always a foul. The referee is on the blindside, he can’t see.
“How can you sit there and watch a video and say ‘no he didn’t pull his shirt’. It’s a simple one actually, that’s a simple decision for VAR. If VAR can’t get that right then what are we doing?”
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