Eddie Howe voiced his frustration with the officiating following Newcastle United’s dramatic 3-3 draw against Liverpool at St James’ Park. The match, which saw a series of twists in the second half, ended with Fabian Schar’s equalizer in the dying moments, cutting Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points.
After Alexander Isak’s first-half strike had given Newcastle a deserved lead, the game exploded in the second half. Curtis Jones equalized for Liverpool, before Anthony Gordon put the hosts back in front. Mohamed Salah then scored twice, but Schar’s last-minute header salvaged a point for the Magpies.
Howe, however, was unhappy with a couple of key refereeing decisions. He felt his side should have been awarded a penalty when Jarell Quansah fouled Isak in the box, saying, “I thought it was a penalty, but I haven’t seen the replay. It was just my initial reaction.” He also questioned the timing of the final whistle, believing Newcastle should have been given more time to build on their attacking momentum in added time. “There was a free-kick during stoppage time that took nearly two minutes, so I thought we’d get at least seven minutes. But the referee blew the whistle at five minutes and 15 seconds, just as we were in a good position.”
Reflecting on the game, Howe admitted to mixed emotions: “Part of me feels we should have won it, but part of me is also pleased with the point. Overall, I’m happy with the performance. We were much more attacking and showed a lot of positive signs against the best team we’ve faced this season.”
He also acknowledged the impact of Liverpool’s tactical changes, particularly the influence of Trent Alexander-Arnold. “Trent’s crossing and his range of passing caused us problems. We didn’t deal with his threat well, especially with his ability to break the lines.”
Despite conceding three goals, Howe was generally pleased with his team’s defensive efforts. “Bizarrely, even though we conceded three goals, I thought we defended well. When we equalized, I felt there might be another chance for us, but it wasn’t meant to be.”
