adminThe Premier League and its officiating body have finally offered clarity on the flashpoint that decided Monday night’s clash at St James’ Park, confirming that Thierno Barry’s winning goal for Everton was correctly awarded despite furious protests from Newcastle United and their supporters.
Barry’s close-range finish just after half-time proved to be the difference between the two sides, but the goal was shrouded in controversy following an apparent collision between the Everton striker and Newcastle defender Fabian Schar in the build-up . The incident left Schar bloodied and requiring treatment, sparking immediate calls from the home crowd and bench for a foul, but VAR ultimately cleared the goal after a lengthy review.
The Explanation: High Threshold for Contact
According to information relayed from the Premier League to media outlets including talkSPORT, the VAR team specifically checked for a potential foul by Barry on Schar. The ruling from the officials was that while contact did occur, it did not meet the threshold for a foul under Premier League standards .
The official stance, as communicated following the match, emphasized that the contact was deemed accidental and consistent with the “high threshold for contact” applied in the English top flight . Any potential offside calls were also swiftly disproved during the checks, ensuring the goal stood as the decisive moment of the match .
Schar’s Bloodied Face and Pundit Verdicts
The controversy stemmed from the nature of the contact. Replays showed Barry’s arm catching Schar across the face as the two jostled for position inside the penalty area, leaving the Swiss international grounded and bleeding before the ball was eventually bundled home .
However, former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher offered differing perspectives on the incident. While Hackett later focused his criticism on a separate penalty shout involving Schar and Barry, Carragher was adamant that Schar was not fouled and was instead attempting to win a free-kick . Carragher described the movement as “great centre-forward play,” noting that Barry used his arm to gain positional advantage rather than deliberately elbowing his opponent . The co-commentator on the night, Andy Hinchcliffe, concurred during the broadcast, stating that it did not appear to be a clear foul on the Newcastle defender .
Newcastle’s Fury and the Aftermath
Newcastle head coach Matthias Jaissle did not hide his frustration following the final whistle. Speaking to the media, Jaissle insisted that the goal should have been disallowed, pointing to the physical evidence of Schar’s injury.
“From my perspective, it was a foul,” Jaissle said. “If he is bleeding, then you have to assume that there was something in it” . The manager also criticized his own team’s defending and goalkeeping in the immediate aftermath of the incident, acknowledging that Lukas Hornicek should have done better with the initial shot that led to Barry’s tap-in, but maintained that the officiating decision was the pivotal error .
The explanation from the league is unlikely to fully quell the frustration on Tyneside, as the decision directly influenced the points. For Everton and Barry, however, the confirmation serves as validation of a hard-fought victory and the striker’s instinctive positioning, which allowed him to capitalize on the rebound and secure all three points for the Toffees .
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