West Ham United v Newcastle: BBC pundit reacts to controversy footage
Don Hutchison believes that the Anthony Gordon penalty incident could’ve gone either way as West Ham lost 4-3 to Newcastle.
Sky Sports shared footage of the controversial penalty incident which led to plenty of debates over whether or not the right decision was made.
Eventually, it was given and that shaped the outcome of the game, much to David Moyes’ disappointment.
Speaking on the world feed, Foy, a former FIFA referee, said (31 March, 21:14): “It was checked if it was a deliberate play. You can see Coufal going into the back which is what led to the awarding of the penalty.”
To which Hutchison, a BBC pundit, responded: “I think there’s an element that Anthony Gordon is desperate to get there. Best way out of this is to get a penalty. So I’m hoping Coufal hits me on the Achilles. In real time you have to be like ‘Bang. You have to give a penalty’.”
West Ham hard done by with decisions v Newcastle
Such soft penalties highlight the need for technology in refereeing to eliminate subjective calls.
VAR should intervene in instances like this to ensure fair play.
The failure to utilise technology effectively in this scenario reflects poorly on the officiating standards.
It’s imperative for football authorities to prioritize the implementation of technology to uphold the integrity of the game and prevent contentious decisions like this from influencing match outcomes.
Moyes has every right to be fuming with this decision as it was a draw at best and the Hammers did not deserve to lose.
They didn’t do themselves any favours, especially with Kalvin Phillips getting the flak for letting his side down.
Hopefully, this does not impact the Hammers too much and they can soon bounce back in order to finish in the top half.
In other West Ham news, Michael Owen has been left fuming amid a recent controversy in London involving the Hammers.
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