Newcastle United were left furious after a contentious Video Assistant Referee (VAR) decision cost them a potential match-winning penalty in a dramatic 2-2 Premier League draw with Chelsea on Saturday, 21 December 2025.
The Controversial Incident at St. James' Park
The flashpoint occurred in the second half at St. James' Park with the score level at 2-2. Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon went down in the Chelsea penalty area under a challenge from defender Trevoh Chalobah.
On-field referee Andy Madley waved away appeals, and after a review, the VAR officials upheld his decision not to award a spot-kick. Replays suggested Chalobah made no contact with the ball during a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge.
Shearer's Furious Reaction
Newcastle's all-time record goalscorer, Alan Shearer, was scathing in his assessment of the call. Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, the former England striker did not hold back.
"I mean the penalty decision that they never got was absolutely ridiculous, honestly," Shearer declared. He specifically targeted the Premier League's subsequent explanation posted on social media platform X.
"Even the tweet the Premier League put out... to say he was shielding the ball. Rubbish! Shielding the ball? It was as clear a foul as you're ever going to see," Shearer fumed.
He expressed disbelief that multiple officials could review the incident and deem it fair, stating: "I'd love to know, you've got three professionals, you've got the referee on the pitch and you've got two VAR looking at that, slowing it down, and thinking, 'Yeah, that's alright, wasn't a foul.'"
Widespread Agreement and Howe's Disappointment
Shearer was far from alone in his view. Co-host Gary Lineker agreed it was a penalty, saying Chalobah "just rammed him straight off."
During TNT Sports' live coverage, pundit Ally McCoist called it a "stonewall penalty" and said he was "staggered" it wasn't given. Former Chelsea player Joe Cole also believed it was a foul, citing "too much aggression" from the defender.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe voiced his frustration after the final whistle, aligning with his former striker. "Yeah, I thought it was a stonewall penalty," Howe said. "I thought the defender went in with too much aggression. I think anywhere else on the pitch that's a free-kick, so I'm really disappointed it wasn't given."
The Premier League's official Match Centre later clarified the decision, posting: "The referee's call of no penalty to Newcastle was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the contact from Chalobah on Gordon deemed to be side-to-side in a shielding action and the ball within playing distance."
The match itself had seen Nick Woltemade score twice in the first half to put Newcastle 2-0 up. Reece James pulled one back for Chelsea with a free-kick after the break, before Joao Pedro equalised in the 66th minute. The contentious penalty incident followed, leaving Newcastle to rue two dropped points and a major officiating controversy.
