Newcastle United’s striker, Callum Wilson, has expressed his viewpoint regarding the contentious penalty decision that went against Wolves during the last weekend’s match.
The Wolves supporters continue to be dissatisfied with Anthony Taylor’s choice to award Newcastle a penalty, and the subsequent decision by VAR to confirm it. The incident occurred when Hwang Hee-chan was attempting to clear the ball, and Fabian Schar came in to challenge him. Initially, it appeared as though Hwang had fouled Schar.
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However, upon reviewing the footage, it became evident that the Swiss defender had initiated the contact, as Hwang ceased his kicking motion just before making contact. Frustratingly, VAR did not overturn Taylor’s initial decision. Wilson subsequently successfully converted the penalty, although some believe that Wolves’ goalkeeper, Jose Sa, could have performed better in saving it.
Now, Wilson has offered his perspective on the controversial moment…
Fabian Schar in to confront Hwang Hee-chan as he was clearing his lines. At first, it appeared as though Schar had been captured by Hwang.
Replays, however, revealed that contact was made by the Swiss defender. Hwang halted his kick before it touched anything.
Sadly, Taylor’s on-field call was upheld by VAR. Wilson then scored from the spot-kick, although Jose Sa could have done a better job of it.
Wilson has now shared his thoughts on the contentious affair.
Newcastle striker Callum Wilson gives his opinion on the penalty decision that went against Wolves
It was expected that this topic would be discussed, and the decision has received strong criticism, including from Ian Wright and Alan Shearer, who expressed their surprise on Match of the Day shortly after the game.
Wolves fans who anticipated Wilson expressing remorse over the incident will be disappointed. Without firmly declaring it a penalty or not, he stated, “I won’t show bias by saying ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ In real-time, I initially thought it was a penalty. However, upon reviewing the replay in slow motion and from different angles, it becomes less clear whether it was a penalty.
“The referee didn’t have the advantage of these slow-motion replays, and VAR is in place to assist in such situations. Nevertheless, was it a glaring and undeniable mistake from the referee’s perspective? When you slow down the footage, there is some slight contact, but even when viewed from different angles, it appears as though he may have kicked him, or he may not have.
“In the end, one must support the referee’s decision and keep the game in motion. Ultimately, you just have to put the ball in the net.”
Is it so bad to admit your team got fortunate?
“Many people likely believed it was a penalty in real-time, and that’s a reasonable assumption. It’s understandable that the referee, Taylor, made that call, given that we’ve seen instances of players getting kicked while attempting a last-second steal. The situation unfolded rapidly.
However, it’s hard to believe that Wilson genuinely expected the referee’s decision to be reviewed by VAR in this case.
The extended review time was quite surprising, and Wilson now appears to be using the length of the review to argue that it wasn’t a clear and obvious mistake.
Both Wolves and even some Newcastle fans would likely have more respect for Wilson if he simply acknowledged that Newcastle got a fortunate break in that moment, which they did.”
