In a thrilling return to Premier League action controversy erupted as Newcastle secured a dramatic 4-3 victory over West Ham with debate over the Offside call of Anthony Gordon.
The match marred by VAR scrutiny saw Newcastle’s early lead through an Alexander Isak penalty spark debate over the validity of the decision.
Anthony Gordon Offside Controversy
Referee Robert Jones initially awarded the penalty after Anthony Gordon was brought down in the box by Vladimir Coufal. However, VAR intervened examining whether Gordon was offside when the ball came his way from teammate Fabian Schar.
Although Gordon appeared to be in an offside position the decisive touch came from West Ham’s Konstantinos Mavropanos deflecting the ball towards Gordon thus absolving him of offside infringement.
Despite protests from West Ham fans and club legend Tony Cottee, the goal stood with Isak converting the penalty to give Newcastle an early lead.
The match continued to deliver excitement with Michail Antonio equalizing for West Ham shortly after Isak’s opener. Further goals from Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen put West Ham in a commanding 3-1 lead.
The Late Comeback from Newcastle
However, Newcastle mounted a remarkable comeback with Harvey Barnes emerging as the hero off the bench. Barnes scored twice including a dramatic stoppage-time winner sending St James’ Park into jubilation and leaving West Ham fans stunned.
The match’s conclusion sparked further frustration among West Ham supporters with Cottee expressing disbelief at the outcome. Despite dominating for large parts of the game West Ham ultimately succumbed to Newcastle’s resilience leaving them to rue missed opportunities.
In a game characterized by VAR controversy and dramatic twists Newcastle emerged victorious securing a crucial three points in their Premier League campaign.