St James’ Park, Newcastle- In a fiery and controversial afternoon at St James’ Park, Newcastle United were at the heart of multiple VAR decisions as they faced relegation battlers Ipswich Town. Despite a spirited performance and the return of Eddie Howe to the touchline, VAR overshadowed the match, with the Premier League later issuing two separate official statements to clarify key decisions.
The Magpies were left stunned in the first half when what appeared to be a sensational opening goal from Bruno Guimaraes was ruled out. The Brazilian midfielder capitalized on a looping header that Ipswich goalkeeper Alex Palmer misjudged, resulting in the ball bouncing off Guimaraes and into the net. But referee Michael Salisbury had already blown his whistle for a foul, citing a slight nudge from Guimaraes on Palmer.
Replays suggested minimal contact, yet VAR upheld the on-field decision, sparking protests from Newcastle players and fans alike. BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Paul Robinson supported the referee’s call, saying: “It was a horrible ball for the keeper. Bruno was clever but gave him just enough of a nudge to throw him off.”
Tensions quickly escalated, with tempers flaring after an off-the-ball incident between Ipswich captain Sam Morsy and Newcastle’s Joe Willock. VAR halted play briefly to review the clash for violent conduct, but ultimately decided against a red card. The Premier League Match Centre posted on X (formerly Twitter):
“#NEWIPS – 27’ VAR checked for a potential red card against Morsy – and deemed that there was no act of violent conduct.”
The drama didn’t stop there. Ipswich were reduced to ten men just before halftime when Ben Johnson was shown a second yellow card—first for simulation and then for holding back Alexander Isak during a counterattack.
Newcastle finally broke through when Jacob Murphy was pulled down by Julio Enciso in the penalty area. Initially waved away by the referee, VAR stepped in once again. After an on-field review, a penalty was awarded. The Premier League’s second official statement clarified:
“#NEWIPS – 45+1 VAR OVERTURN VAR checked the referee’s call of no penalty to Newcastle United for a challenge by Enciso on Murphy – and deemed Enciso committed a pulling offence and recommended an on-field review. The referee overturned the original decision and awarded a penalty to Newcastle.”
Alexander Isak stepped up and coolly slotted home from the spot, giving Newcastle a narrow lead heading into halftime.