The referee made the correct decision in not awarding Newcastle a penalty during their defeat to Manchester United on Wednesday, according to an independent panel.
In the incident, Sofyan Amrabat stepped on the heel of Magpies winger Anthony Gordon as he ran into the box late in the first half, with United leading 1-0.
United went on to win 3-2. The incident, which Gordon described as “a clear penalty,” was reviewed by the Premier League’s Key Match Incident Panel.
According to the verdict, seen by BBC Sport, one panellist believed the “left foot of the defender impedes the attacker on the back of his heel” and warranted a penalty.
However, the other four panellists disagreed, unanimously supporting the decision of the video assistant referee (VAR) not to intervene.
“[Amrabat] goes down my Achilles and pushes me in the back,” said Gordon. “I don’t mind the referee getting it wrong on the pitch, but I don’t understand the point of VAR.”
The panel also believed Brighton should have been awarded a penalty during their 2-1 home defeat by Chelsea on Wednesday.
The referee did not consider Malo Gusto’s challenge on Simon Adingra to be a foul, but four panellists disagreed with this decision, stating that “the defender’s leg dangled into the path of the attacker, who could not go anywhere else while in possession.”
The remaining panellist felt that Adingra initiated the contact. Consequently, a 4-1 majority concluded that the VAR was wrong not to intervene.