Bournemouth fume after VAR denies late winner against Newcastle

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Andoni Iraola was fiercely critical of the contentious VAR decision to rule out Dango Ouattara’s 93rd-minute effort that would have secured Bournemouth victory over Newcastle United.
Iraola’s side had seen a first-half lead given to them by Marcus Tavernier cancelled out by Anthony Gordon’s 77th-minute reply but were convinced they had clinched all three points when Ouattara rose to meet a corner in added time.
David Coote, the referee, awarded a goal but was overruled by VAR Tim Robinson who adjudged the ball had been diverted into the net off the Bournemouth substitute’s arm. Iraola and his players were convinced the ball had struck Ouattara’s shoulder and the manager was booked for his touchline protests, while one of his assistants was also sent off moments later during a fractious final few minutes. The Spaniard urged the referee to view a replay of the incident but Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) later confirmed the incident was deemed a factual handball and therefore an on-field review was not required.
Bournemouth’s hearts have been broken by VAR ❌ pic.twitter.com/BcI2RuXMeG
“It is very difficult to digest,” said Iraola. “It is obvious what happened. I think we should have won the game. I will complain now. Nothing will happen, I am not against the referee. He gave the goal, he didn’t have the chance to go to the monitor and watch it. If he did I am sure he would give the goal. They will say it is a factual decision but it is not a factual decision.
“The ball never touched his skin, we have very short sleeves, so it touched his shoulder. The referee could not do anything else, someone (should) call him and say he has to disallow it.”
He added: “It’s just common sense and whoever has played football only looking at the strength that the ball goes in and touches the back of the net, knows that that’s not a handball.  You know it’s a shoulder. That’s why (the ball) goes very strong to the inside of the net.
“It never touches his skin. We have very short sleeves. They say it is factual, show me the facts. I have just seen the video and the fact is it doesn’t touch the arm, it is the shoulder, a clear goal and three points for us.”
“It is very difficult to digest,” said Iraola. “It is obvious what happened. I think we should have won the game. I will complain now. Nothing will happen, I am not against the referee. He gave the goal, he didn’t have the chance to go to the monitor and watch it. If he did I am sure he would give the goal. They will say it is a factual decision but it is not a factual decision.
“The ball never touched his skin, we have very short sleeves, so it touched his shoulder. The referee could not do anything else, someone (should) call him and say he has to disallow it.”
He added: “It’s just common sense and whoever has played football only looking at the strength that the ball goes in and touches the back of the net, knows that that’s not a handball.  You know it’s a shoulder. That’s why (the ball) goes very strong to the inside of the net.
“It never touches his skin. We have very short sleeves. They say it is factual, show me the facts. I have just seen the video and the fact is it doesn’t touch the arm, it is the shoulder, a clear goal and three points for us.”
Iraola found an ally in Alan Shearer, the former Newcastle forward and Match of the Day pundit, who posted on X: “A lucky point as that’s an awful decision re handball. Never handball for me.”
Eddie Howe, the Newcastle manager, also admitted he was surprised to see the late effort disallowed. “I haven’t seen it but I mean, it was sort of a welcome surprise because you don’t expect anyone to appeal,” he said. “We weren’t appealing. Our players weren’t appealing. So I’d be interested to see the replays. But we’ve had a VAR decision go for us, then go against us. This one’s for us. But I think the crucial thing is, there was just no time left in the game, so that was a massive relief for us.”
Howe also had cause to be relieved that his side managed to work their way back into the game after being second best for long periods in the opening hour. Bournemouth grew into the first half and deservedly took the lead when Antoine Semenyo robbed Joelinton and set off on powerful run before pulling back for Tavernier to finish from close range in the 37th minute.
The home side had chances to double their lead but the momentum of the game shifted when Howe introduced Kieran Trippier, who Howe hopes will remain at the club beyond the end of the transfer window, and Harvey Barnes from the bench. The switch, together with a greater sense of urgency throughout Howe’s team, helped turn the game around. Barnes flashed a shot across the face of goal and Joelinton was denied by a superb save before Barnes’s deep cross from the left found Gordon at the far post who finished from close range.
Howe believed a draw was a fair outcome although, unsurprisingly, Iraola took a different view. “I cannot ask more from the players,” Iraola added. “We faced a very good team. We deserved to win.”
Think #nufc will file that in the glad to come away with a point folder for the season. So many players off the pace. Bruno, Gordon and Isak look like they are running with a fridge on their backs. Having nobody comfortable on the ball to play out from the back is a huge problem…
Lots of argy and indeed bargy after the final whistle. The Bournemouth goalie has got plenty to say to the ref.
Nottinghamshire whistler Coote is close to losing control of the match here! He’s sent off one of the Bouremouth staff, now there’s another incident with multiple players.
Final whistle.
Up the other end, Newcastle push for a winner that would be truly unjust… and Joelinton clotheslines the goalie, WWF style. Only a yellow for that!
Bournemouth’s Ouattara has bundled one in from a corner! Goes up for a header and it hits him on the shoulder, goes in by hook or by crook.
But VAR is looking to spoil the fun… hang on…. They’re saying that it’s handball. No? Can’t be, surely? Ouattara was up for the header, him and Dan Burn met the all at the exact same moment, I thought it was off the Newcastle man’s hand if anything.
Bournemouth’s hearts have been broken by VAR ❌ pic.twitter.com/BcI2RuXMeG
Guimaraes with a thunderbison! He really smacked that one and it was a fine save in the Bournemouth goal.
It is Newcastle now who seem not just the most up for it, but the most likely.
But Bournemouth look to hit back right away, and nearly do when sub Scott fizzes a shot wide. A minute later, Semeydo’s shot is deflected only a few feet wide of the post.
Gordon has stolen in at the back post to level it up for Newcastle! Harvey the man who delivered an excellent cross. Over to you, Ian.
Harvey Barnes had already had a major impact on the game since replacing Jacob Murphy before he teed up Anthony Gordon for the equaliser. Newcastle have looked a lot more dangerous with the former Leicester man on the left.
Longstaff and Kelly are off. Hall and Willock on.
But here’s Newcastle fashioning an opportunity! Barnes, on as a sub, pulls out to the left and finds a lot of space. Drags his shot just a foot or two wide.
Cherries able to attack both quicky on the break and with a measured build up.
I don’t really know what is going on with the defensive side of Newcastle’s game but they seem to be really off with their press. 
A shake of the head from Eddie Howe as his Newcastle side are once again closed down deep in their own half. The Newcastle manager has already had two extended conversations with assistant Jason Tindall at the start of this half as he attempts to work out a way to turn this game around.
Trippier is coming on.
But it is AFCB who come close to scoring. Cook hares down the flank, Kluiert sends it in and Semenyo is just about impeded enough by the defender to make him scuff it over.
The visitors have clearly had a bit of a rocket up them and have come out all guns blazing. And, in the case of Longstaff, bursting into the Bournemouth box and then having a little lie down on the grass.
 
Quite enjoyable fare, Newcastle probably the better of the sides for the first 20 or so but it is the hosts who lead thanks to a crisply finished goal that was created by some committed pressing. Here’s Ian at the ground:
An impressive response from Bournemouth after Newcastle had the better of the early stages of the game. Andoni Iraola’s side survived a couple of early chances that fell to Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak before growing into the game, pressing Newcastle high up the pitch and taking control of the midfield areas. Antoine Semenyo has impressed, hitting the bar and providing an excellent assist for Marcus Tavernier.
Welcome to the Premier League. Bournemouth’s club record signing Evanilson has been flattened twice now, with Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes showing their fellow Brazilian no favours.
 
It was close to being offside but Tavernier really judged his run perfectly.
Newcastle dither on the ball in their own third, Bournemouth are at them. Semenyo robs Joelinton and, as a big fan of his, I am sorry to relay that Big Joe just shrugs and wanders off, failing to track back. A beeeg-a mistake-a. Semenyo surges forward, slips it in to Tavernier and he slots it away.
Cook takes a freekick but but Kelly clears. Semenyo looking like the boy most likely for the hosts.
 
 “Andoni Iraola will have to work out how to plug the gaps on the left hand side of his Bournemouth defence. Alexander Isak is causing plenty of problems for Marcos Senesi and Milos Kerkez and has already a delivered couple of telling crosses as well as seeing a shot saved.” 
Semenyo takes his time and lets rip with a good long curler – that his the post!
You can really hear every eff and jeff over the Sky cameras at this wee ground. Guimaraes has poked Christie in the eye and the Scot is being told that he is as soft as… well you get the idea.
Isak, the best player on the pitch so far, ghosts past his man on the right, crosses, but finds his decent ball friendless.
Christie and Tavernier combine well to set up Evanilson, who shoots hard but not succesfully. 
Isak through! And hits the target but wait no that is offside.
That corner is cleared.
But Newcastle attack again, Isak charging towards the box. Just about stopped.
Newcastle definitely the side who have made the brighter start.
Newcastle have a corner, played short to Longstaff to dink in. Deflected behind for a corner.
Isak with some nice footwork down the right flank, stands it up for Gordon but he is crowded out. A corner. Comes to little.
Evanilson, the new man, with a powerful run forward and he’s manhandled by E. Krafth.
Evanilson the Brazil international (!) recently joined Bournemouth (!!) for a club record FORTY MILLION QUID (?!)
It’s windy. Newcastle load the box for a high long throw. Wow it’s really blustery. They’ve got some lovely big boys, the Mags. But AFCB clear.
Looks a smashing day there, the Cherries in their red and black, the visitors in all-white change strip.
Truly these are the good times eh? A competitive outfit in the Premier League. 
“Lloyd Kelly adds height and pace to our back line, which we need. They have a lot of pace in their forward line in the transition. We need to get our exceptional attacking players in the game.”
 
I had some difficult decisions to make in the week. We have quite a lot of depth in the squad but the players on the bench I hope will also do well.
AFC Bournemouth: Neto, Araujo, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez, Christie, Cook, Semenyo, Tavernier, Kluivert, Evanilson. Subs: Travers, Huijsen, Ouattara, Scott, Smith, Sinisterra, Jebbison, Hill, Anthony.
Newcastle: Pope, Livramento, Kelly, Burn, Krafth, Longstaff, Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Jacob Murphy, Isak, Gordon. Subs: Ruddy, Trippier, Barnes, Targett, Osula, Hall, Almiron, Willock, Alex Murphy.
Referee: David Coote (Nottinghamshire)
Eddie Howe to Sky Sports
“My priority is making sure the team performs very well. I am now very proud to be Newcastle manager and that’s all that matters to me.”
“AFCB have got strengths, a lot of pace in their frontline so we are going to have to defend as well as we did last week. Hopefully we can keep 11 players on the pitch and we can see our attacking players. We have tremendous attacking players that we are trying to get into the game as well.”
Our line-up for #BOUNEW. Let’s go, Cherries 💪 pic.twitter.com/xl8ubSdOMp
Let’s get to work! 👊 pic.twitter.com/QQafvUf9eP
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Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is convinced Anthony Gordon will learn a lot from his Euro 2024 frustration.
The 23-year-old frontman, one of the stars of England Under-21s’ European Championship success in 2023, was used only once – as an 89th-minute substitute – during the senior team’s campaign this summer after winning his place in the squad with his stellar performances for the Magpies last season.
Gordon will hope for more action under interim Three Lions manager Lee Carsley – who led the Under-21s to glory – during his tenure, but Howe is confident he will have learned a lot from his experience in Germany.
He said: “The Euros will have been an incredible experience for him. The first time that he will have been with England for any length of time and I’m sure he’ll have learned, seen and experienced a lot from that.
“Sometimes, we all have this vision of the fairytale ending, you go in and help win your country the tournament at the first time [of asking].
“But life is rarely like that. Anthony will have seen a lot and hopefully use that for next time that he’s involved.”
Gordon’s return to Tyneside came amid speculation linking him with a move to Liverpool barely 18 months after his £45million arrival at St James’ Park from their derby rivals Everton.
He started Saturday’s hard-fought 1-0 win over Southampton and is likely to be in the side once again at Bournemouth today as he works his way back to the kind of form which elevated him from the crowd last season.
Asked if the speculation had affected him, Howe said: “I’ve seen Anthony come back in a good place. Especially this past week, he had a really short training period before that first game.
“We put him in as he’s a difference-maker. It takes the younger players less time to get up to speed, but I think this week he has looked back to his best.”
One man who certainly did look back to his best against the Saints was match-winner Joelinton, who underlined his transformation from misfiring striker to powerhouse midfielder to such an extent that Match of the Day pundit and former Newcastle skipper Alan Shearer described him afterwards as one of the best in the business.
Asked if he agreed with Shearer’s assessment, Howe said: “Yes, I do agree with him. When he’s at his best, I would absolutely hate to play against him.”
We will see if Gordon has indeed made the XI when the teams come out at about 1245pm.