“Shearer Slams VAR Over Controversial Late Goal Disallowed in Bournemouth-Newcastle Draw”
Newcastle United icon Alan Shearer has criticized VAR for making a “terrible decision” in disallowing Bournemouth’s last-minute goal, which would have handed the Magpies a defeat on Sunday.
Dango Ouattara seemed to have secured a 2-1 victory for the Cherries with a late header, but VAR ruled the goal out for handball. Upon closer inspection, the ball appeared to strike Ouattara’s shoulder, which many considered a harsh call.
According to handball rules, a goal is disallowed if the ball makes contact with any part of the arm below the sleeve line. In this case, it seemed unclear whether this rule applied at the Vitality Stadium.
The Premier League’s new Match Centre, which provides explanations for VAR decisions via social media, stated: “The on-field decision was a goal. However, VAR overturned it, ruling that Ouattara had committed a factual handball, so no on-field review was necessary, and the goal was disallowed.”
Despite his deep ties to Newcastle, Shearer disagreed with the call. “A fortunate point, as that was an awful handball decision,” he wrote on X. “Never handball in my opinion.”
The game ended 1-1, with Marcus Tavernier’s first-half goal for Bournemouth being leveled by Anthony Gordon’s strike in the 76th minute. After the match, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe acknowledged the controversy surrounding the VAR decision.
“I initially thought the game was lost because I didn’t see anything wrong with the goal,” Howe told the BBC. “We’ve experienced VAR decisions both for and against us, so we’re grateful for this one. At that stage, we needed the point. But I understand it’s a contentious call.”