EDDIE HOWE’S EXPLOSIVE POST-MATCH VERDICT COULD LAND HIM IN TROUBLE AFTER PSG PENALTY DRAMA
More than two years after Newcastle were denied victory in Paris following a controversial spot-kick involving Tino Livramento, history appeared to repeat itself as the Magpies were again caught up in a refereeing storm against Paris Saint-Germain. This time, the spotlight fell on young midfielder Lewis Miley, who was penalized for handball after the ball deflected into his arm having first struck the elbow of PSG winger Bradley Barcola.
The decision allowed Ousmane Dembélé to step up from the penalty spot, but Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope produced a superb save to deny the Frenchman. However, the drama surrounding handball calls was far from over. In the 41st minute, PSG captain Marquinhos appeared to handle the ball inside the area following a long throw from Lewis Hall, yet after a brief VAR review, the referee waved away Newcastle’s appeals.
Speaking after the 1-1 draw in the French capital, Howe admitted his biggest frustration came not from the penalty awarded against his side, but from the one they felt should have been given in their favour.
“Probably the one that wasn’t given for us,” Howe explained. “You can debate the first decision all day, but if the officials believe that incident is a penalty, then for me the next one has to be as well.”
The Newcastle boss went on to challenge the logic behind the initial call, insisting Miley was unfairly punished.
“I don’t think the first one is against Lewis at all,” Howe said. “The ball hits their player’s arm first, and I genuinely believe it’s completely unintentional. Yes, his arm might be slightly away from his body, but there’s no intent there for me.”
Howe stressed that his main concern lay in the lack of consistency shown by the officiating team, led by Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić, who dismissed the Marquinhos handball despite its similarities to the earlier incident.
“That’s what you want consistency,” Howe added. “If one decision is given, you expect the same standard to be applied at the other end.”
Despite the controversial moments, Howe was full of praise for his players, highlighting their composure and mentality in refusing to let the officiating decisions derail their performance.
“I think credit has to go to the players,” he said. “We didn’t allow it to become the story of the game for us. We stayed focused on the football, and that says a lot about our mindset.”
Reflecting on the result itself, Howe emphasised the significance of earning a point away from home against the reigning champions.
“There was real resilience, character and quality on show,” he said. “We had to deal with a lot tonight. The penalty decision against us was very harsh, but we handled it. PSG are an outstanding team, so to come here and compete the way we did was massive.”
Newcastle must now navigate a play-off tie against either Monaco or Qarabag an outcome Howe admitted was not part of the original plan.
“We wanted to win tonight. We didn’t want the extra games,” he said. “But we’ll take it. If we had to go down this route, we’ve done it in the best possible way with a huge performance against the holders. There’s plenty for us to be positive about.”
