Newcastle United today lost their opening Premier League of the 2021/22 season 4-2 to West Ham United – but the Magpies could certainly feel hard done by.
Steve Bruce’s side were good in the first-half, with Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson looking particularly dangerous.
The pair combined for the opening goal, with Wilson heading home his teammate’s cross.
Aaron Cresswell then equalised, but Jacob Murphy put Newcastle back in front.
The Hammers then equalised again through Said Benrahma, before a big moment in the match.
Murphy was adjudged to have fouled Pablo Fornals in the area, but replays showed the wing-back actually played the ball onto the Spaniard.
Speaking after the game, Michael Dawson said on Sky Sports: “For me that is not a penalty.
“I feel Newcastle have been so hard done by. If you see when we slow it down at this angle, he touches the ball onto Fornals. That for me is criminal. That is not a penalty, so so soft.”
Micah Richards concurred, adding: “There’s a mistake there. That is never a penalty in a million years. All he (referee Martin Atkinson) had to do was go and look at it (pitchside monitor).”
Newcastle unlucky
It was not a penalty, and Freddie Woodman then made a good save from Michail Antonio.
So Tomas Soucek scoring the goal he did will certainly sting.
It was strange that Atkinson did not go over to the pitchside monitor to take another look at the incident, and strange that the VAR officials did not instruct him to do so.
That was a big moment in the game that went in West Ham’s favour, and put wind in their sails ahead of scoring another goal through Antonio.
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