Anthony Gordon’s goal was upheld after a triple VAR review, and Gary Neville and Martin Keown have differing opinions on Newcastle United’s winning goal.
Gary Neville disagreed with Martin Keown’s decision on Match of the Day, believing that allowing Newcastle United’s winning goal against Arsenal to stand was the ‘correct’ call. Anthony Gordon’s second-half goal was the subject of a triple VAR review, and it was enough to give Eddie Howe’s side a 1-0 win over the Gunners.
With the initial review unable to determine whether Arsenal should have been awarded a goal kick, Joe Willock scrambled to keep the ball in play. After David Raya missed the cross, Joelinton was adjudged not to have fouled Gabriel while the final check again could not prove that Gordon was offside as he thundered the ball into the net.
Gunners legend Martin Keown joined former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy as pundits on Saturday night’s episode of Match of the Day. The former defender was adamant that Gabriel was fouled and claimed that the decision to allow Newcastle’s goal to stand was ‘virtually everything wrong’.
“This isn’t really conclusive because we still don’t have the technology around the perimeter of the pitch,” he told Match of the Day. The circumference of the ball is not clear from this angle; it appears to be in from this angle. Willock, by the way, has done exceptionally well here.
“This one here, we don’t have a camera angle to draw lines for what could be an offside, so that one is inconclusive.” That’s two hands; if you put two hands on the back of a player anywhere else on the field, it’s a foul.
“Why they’ve not seen that…look at that, two hands on his back, he’s off the ground and that’s why Gabriel is stooping because he can’t get off the ground. It might have even hit his hand in that build-up, it may have been an offside, virtually everything is wrong with that goal that you can think of.”
Neville was on commentary duty for the bruising match at St James’ Park, and he took to social media the next morning to express his thoughts. Keown’s former England colleague was confident Gabriel was not fouled, but said the lack of evidence on the other two checks meant the goal had to stand.
“I thought the decision for the Newcastle goal was correct,” Neville said on X. The ball out was inconclusive at best, definitely not a foul in my opinion, and if the VAR cannot prove offside, the onfield decision should stand.”
When asked about Joelinton’s challenge on Gabriel by an Arsenal fan, Neville responded, “He’d already bent forward to flick it on and he threw his legs back!” I’ve attempted it. It wasn’t a penalty.”
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