Newcastle United have formally requested clarification from the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) following a controversial penalty appeal that was denied during their 2-2 Premier League draw with Chelsea at St James’ Park on Saturday.
Head coach Eddie Howe described the incident as a “stonewall” penalty after Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah appeared to barge Anthony Gordon to the ground inside the box. However, referee Andy Madley waved away the appeal, a decision later upheld by the video assistant referee (VAR).
The Premier League Match Centre later explained that Chalobah was judged to be “side-to-side in a shielding action with the ball within playing distance.” Unconvinced, Howe confirmed the club had sought further explanation, saying: “A call has already gone in. We just want to understand the thought process behind the decision.”
At the time of the incident, Newcastle were leading 2-1 before Chelsea’s João Pedro equalised, capitalising on a slip by Malick Thiaw. The result extended a worrying trend for the Magpies, who have now dropped 13 points from winning positions this season — the most in the Premier League — and currently sit 11th in the table.
Newcastle have also managed just one away win so far and will be hoping to turn their fortunes around ahead of their Boxing Day trip to Manchester United on December 26.
Despite the frustration, Howe struck an optimistic tone, insisting progress is being made. “My glass is very much half full,” he said. “We are moving in the right direction, but we still have a lot of work to do. The challenge has been consistency — putting winning runs together — and that’s what we need to improve.”
