Newcastle United secured a 1-0 victory over Arsenal on Saturday night in a game that was far from incident-free. In fact, it was marked by numerous noteworthy events.
The match at St James’ Park was intensely contested and featured a controversial goal by Anthony Gordon that ultimately determined the outcome. Arsenal has expressed their discontent regarding this goal and even issued a statement criticizing what they view as a subjective decision, while also standing by their manager, Mikel Arteta, in light of his post-match comments.
Yet, the contentious goal wasn’t the only significant talking point arising from Newcastle’s 1-0 triumph over Arsenal. The first half witnessed an incident involving Bruno Guimaraes, where the Brazilian’s off-the-ball challenge on Jorginho should have arguably warranted a red card.
The game’s initial major incident occurred when Kai Havertz collided with Sean Longstaff along the touchline. Havertz executed a reckless tackle that saw him leap off the ground and collide with Longstaff, leaving the latter in a vulnerable state. Longstaff, aged 26, was fortunate to escape injury, as the outcome could have been far more severe if Havertz’s leading foot had made full contact.
This challenge ignited a skirmish between the two teams, resulting in Newcastle receiving three yellow cards, despite the fact that Arsenal’s tackle could have potentially led to a red card. The resulting outcome left many perplexed.
What Jamaal Lascelles said to Kai Havertz after horrible tackle
Jamaal Lascelles, the captain of Newcastle United, was quite incensed by the tackle and spoke with Havertz afterwards.
When the game was being highlighted on BBC Match Of The Day, pundit Guy Mowbray commented on what Lascelles had said to the Germany international.
He said, “Jamaal Lascelles just told Kai Havertz, ‘You’ve tried to do him.'”
Arsenal midfielder Havertz has history with Newcastle
Havertz was indeed fortunate not to receive a red card. In real-time, the tackle appeared to warrant a red card, and upon a second review, it seemed a strong yellow card might be justified. However, upon closer scrutiny, it becomes evident that the challenge was extremely dangerous, with Havertz narrowly avoiding a more severe impact on Longstaff with his leading foot.
Longstaff was indeed fortunate to be able to continue playing despite the dangerous challenge from Havertz. The potential for a more serious injury was definitely present.
It’s understandable that Lascelles expressed his frustration with Havertz, especially considering that this isn’t the first time the Chelsea player has been involved in incidents against Newcastle. In a previous encounter during Eddie Howe’s first season in charge, Chelsea won 1-0 with Havertz scoring the winning goal. However, Havertz had a controversial moment when he delivered a nasty elbow to Dan Burn during that match, a situation that could have resulted in a red card but went unpunished.
Havertz’s ability to escape serious consequences has been noted, and the fact that Newcastle emerged as 1-0 winners this time may be seen as a sense of poetic justice.
The reaction of Arsenal staff and fans to these incidents has been notably calm and rational, it seems.
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