Manchester City secure win over Newcastle amid VAR frustrations
Manchester City achieved a 2-0 victory against Newcastle in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final at St James’ Park, though manager Pep Guardiola expressed dissatisfaction with the officiating, particularly regarding VAR decisions, reports BritPanorama.
The result gave City a crucial advantage heading into the return fixture, with Antoine Semenyo scoring for the second consecutive match, followed by Rayan Cherki’s late effort that sealed the win in the final minutes.
Despite the positive outcome, Guardiola’s ire was directed at a disallowed goal from Semenyo, which was ruled out after a lengthy VAR review. Officials deemed that Erling Haaland was offside while interfering with Newcastle defender Malick Thiaw.
In his post-match remarks, Guardiola lamented the decisions, questioning why VAR did not intervene in what he viewed as clear penalty incidents during their previous encounter with Newcastle in November. “It’s a good question,” he remarked when asked about the lack of explanation regarding the rulings.
Guardiola recounted instances from the previous match, specifically pointing to an incident involving Newcastle’s Fabian Schar and Phil Foden that he felt warranted a penalty. “In the 20th minute, there is an unbelievable penalty for the shot for Jeremy Doku off the hand, and not even VAR,” he said. He claimed that in significant matches over the years, he had not publicly voiced concerns about officiating, although the VAR decisions during this game were particularly perplexing.
Newcastle’s manager Eddie Howe acknowledged the challenge of facing City at the Etihad in February, emphasising the importance of defending effectively and maintaining belief as they prepare for the second leg. “I think it is probably our biggest challenge, our biggest test of everything really,” Howe stated, reflecting on the upcoming matches before the return fixture.
City’s performance and the controversies surrounding VAR decisions in the context of this high-stakes fixture highlight the ongoing debates within football regarding officiating standards and the role of technology in the game.
