Ref’s penalty call spot on

ON first viewing I thought Fabian Schar’s challenge on Marcos Alonso was a penalty but, after watching a replay, the Newcastle defender does get a touch on the ball. Does this mean the referee got it wrong? No, there is a difference between getting a touch and dispossessing a player. Schar used a scissor motion to make the tackle and it was his second leg which was guilty of the foul. So yes, I support the decision of Paul Tierney, although I understand why it has divided opinion. Even the use of VAR would not have been definitive, the incident would still have been debated. As for Newcastle’s goal, it should not have stood. DeAndre Yedlin clearly struck the face of Olivier Giroud with his arm and, for me, did so deliberately. It should have been spotted and a foul awarded before the cross was made for Joselu to score.