Handball decision mars another game
• Newcastle manager Bruce says it s nonsense despite his team benefiting from a late penalty
Another controversial handball decision gave Newcastle United a stoppage-time equaliser and a 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday. It followed similar matchdeciding handball decisions in Manchester United’s win at Brighton and Everton’s victory at Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Another controversial handball decision gave Newcastle United a stoppage-time equaliser by Callum Wilson from the penalty spot and a 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday.
Spurs had led through a 25th-minute Lucas Moura goal and Newcastle had not managed a shot on target but deep into stoppage time Newcastle’s Andy Carroll and Eric Dier challenged for a ball and the forward’s header brushed the arm of the Spurs defender.
A VAR review led referee Peter Bankes to look at the incident, in which Dier had his back to the ball as he jumped with Carroll, and point to the spot. Wilson ’ s spot-kick squeezed past Hugo Lloris and earned Steve Bruce’s side a point that had looked unlikely for most of the match.
The incident followed similar match-deciding handball decisions in Manchester United’s win at Brighton and Everton’s victory at Crystal Palace on Saturday. The decisions are a result of the Premier League adopting the same interpretation of the handball law as has been in operation in other countries for two years.
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson had slammed the approach to handball after his side’s defeat on Saturday and Newcastle manager Steve Bruce said he agreed with Hodgson.
“I can understand why Spurs will go berserk and Roy Hodgson reacted like he did. It is a total nonsense, we should be jumping through hoops but I would be devastated if that was us. Maybe Roy is right, maybe we all need to get together. The decisions are ruining the spectacle. We have to get together as managers and say this must stop,” Bruce added.
“It ’ s impossible to jump without putting your arms up to give you balance. It’s nonsense. We ’ ve got away with one today, yes, but it could have quite easily been at our end.”
Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho dodged questions about the incident saying he did not want to be fined.
Mourinho ’ s side started brightly and Newcastle keeper Karl Darlow had to produce a superb double save to keep out a Giovani Lo Celso free kick and Harry Kane’s follow-up.
Darlow also did well to save a Kane header but Spurs broke through in the 25th minute — Son Heung-min fed Kane on the left and his low ball across the face of goal was turned in by Moura at the far post.
Son fired a left-foot shot against the post before striking the woodwork again with a drive against the bar three minutes before the interval.
Mourinho took Son off at the break, perhaps taking into account the team’s busy schedule with midweek League Cup and Europa League matches on the horizon, but without the South Korean there was a more pedestrian look to Tottenham.
Still, Mourinho’s side appeared to have done enough to win the match until the late drama, which caused the Portuguese manager to storm down the tunnel.
A Jamie Vardy hat-trick and a superb James Maddison goal steered Leicester City to a stunning 5-2 win at Manchester City and kept them top of the Premier League with nine points from three games.
Patrick Bamford’s 88thminute header gave Leeds United a 1-0 win at Sheffield United in their Yorkshire Premier League derby. Jack Harrison whipped in a superb cross from the left wing and Bamford rose well to score for the third straight game and leave Chris Wilder s side without a point or a goal this season./