‘Newcastle should’ve had penalty vs PSV’ as Keith Hackett spots clear infringement missed by VAR

Newcastle United cruised to a 3-0 win in the Champions League on Wednesday as they overcame PSV at St James’ Park.

It turned out to be a simple win for Eddie Howe’s men in the end as goals from Yoane Wissa, Anthony Gordon, and Harvey Barnes secured all three points.

Newcastle are now guaranteed to be in the knockout stages after their dominant display as they aim to secure a top-eight finish.

Wissa no doubt ran the show at St James’ Park, with the former Brentford striker coming to life in the Champions League.

However, the striker may have felt aggrieved not to add to his tally when he was knocked down in the box in the second half.

Keith Hackett: Newcastle should have had a penalty vs PSV

Newcastle have been at the heart of multiple controversies this season, and Wednesday was no different.

With the Magpies cruising in the second half, many fans felt they should have had a penalty just before they made it 3-0.

A brilliant cross was played into the box and looked to land on the head of Wissa, who was aiming to get his second goal of the day.

However, PSV’s Jerdy Schouten was quick to barge the Magpies’ attacker out of the way before clearing the ball.

Despite the defender clearly pushing Wissa, the referee and VAR deemed the challenge not to be a penalty, despite the Magpies’ protests.

Newcastle PSV average position graphic
Credit: Opta

Looking back at the footage, former referee Keith Hackett exclusively told Football Insider that Newcastle should have had a penalty for the challenge.

He said: “There was a clear push on the Newcastle United player that impacted on his ability to challenge for the ball. 

“This was a foul by the PSV player, and Newcastle Utd can feel aggrieved that they were not awarded a penalty kick.”

What did Eddie Howe say after Newcastle’s win?

Howe was obviously very pleased that the Magpies secured a dominant victory.

The match had the potential to be a banana skin, with PSV previously beating Liverpool at Anfield earlier this campaign.

However, any chance of an upset quickly disappeared as Newcastle ensured they cruised to a comprehensive win.

Looking back on the match, Howe was quick to praise Wissa and Gordon for their contributions to the team.

He told TNT Sports on 21 January: “Really good performance from us. A difficult opponent, tactically they are tough to play against.

“We were rewarded with some really good goals today. Really good night for Yoane Wissa and I am really pleased for him. In part he came to this club for nights like today. The players embraced the challenge and I thought it was the best individual performances from a lot of the players for a while.

“A lot of the players have excelled in this competition this year and Anthony Gordon is one of those.”