Newcastle felt they should have been awarded a penalty when Ryan Fraser was brought down by Ederson in Sunday’s defeat to Manchester CityNewcastle have written to the Premier League to question recent refereeing decisions they feel have gone against them.
Eddie Howe’s side, who are second-bottom of the Premier League, have been punished by debatable calls in their last three matches, all defeats, with the manager criticising the decisions afterwards.
In a 4-0 defeat at Leicester, Howe said he could not understand how referee Peter Bankes awarded a penalty to the hosts, their first goal of the game, after James Maddison appeared to make the most of contact by Jamaal Lascelles.
Against Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp’s team scored an equaliser and their first goal when Isaac Hayden lay on the six-yard line with a head injury. Howe described Mike Dean’s decision to let the goal stand in the 3-1 loss as “unjust”.
And in Sunday’s 4-0 loss to Manchester City Martin Atkinson did not award a penalty to Newcastle despite goalkeeper Ederson bringing down Ryan Fraser, a decision Howe called “baffling”.
Refereeing standards were also questioned by Klopp after two other decisions in Liverpool’s draw at Tottenham.
Former Newcastle captain Alan Shearer said on Match of the Day that Mike Riley – general manager of the refereeing body the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) – should “take responsibility” for recent mistakes and called the decision not to award Fraser a penalty “terrible”.
Liverpool’s Andy Robertson is ‘lucky to be walking’ – Mark Clattenburg criticises refereeing decisionsListen to Mark Clattenburg on refereeing and VAR on Football DailyEx-Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg criticised the officiating in Tottenham’s draw with Liverpool on Sunday, saying Andy Robertson is “lucky to be walking”.
The left-back was on the end of a strong studs-up tackle from Harry Kane.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club programme, Clattenburg said: “I think we, as referees, are sometimes guilty of knowing the laws of the game but we don’t understand the game.
“VAR cannot get this wrong. Referees can, because they have a split second. VAR have all the angles, he’s got all the slow-motion, he can see the point of contact.
BBC Sport approached PGMOL, which declined to comment.