Newcastle left fuming as VAR controversy overshadows Everton defeat
Newcastle United suffered a frustrating home defeat to Everton at St James' Park, with the result overshadowed by a controversial incident in the build-up to the only goal.
The Sun reports that Thierno Barry scored the winner in the 49th minute after goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek was caught out, with the striker later going off injured in what turned out to be a costly afternoon for the Toon (The Sun). Chronicle Live focuses on the build-up to that goal, revealing that Newcastle were given a VAR verdict after Barry appeared to elbow Fabian Schar in the process (Chronicle Live).
BBC Sport reports that head coach Matthias Jaissle was far from happy with the decision, publicly taking issue with referee John Brooks for not calling what he felt was a "clear foul" on Schar before Barry struck (BBC Sport). That sense of injustice seems to be shared across the Newcastle camp, with the manager clearly feeling his side were hard done by at a crucial moment in the match.
Elsewhere, Chronicle Live also looks at how Jaissle tried to change the game, reporting that the head coach introduced a "dramatic" tactical tweak late on as Newcastle searched for an equaliser, overloading in search of a way back into the contest. However, the report says this attempted overload ultimately malfunctioned, leaving the Magpies empty-handed (Chronicle Live).
Taken together, the picture painted is of a Newcastle side left aggrieved by a refereeing decision that went against them at a pivotal stage, compounded by an inability to find a response once Jaissle rolled the dice tactically. The disappointment will sting given how tight the margins were, with the Schar incident likely to be a major talking point among supporters in the aftermath.
Newcastle will want to move on quickly and put things right, with attention now turning to their next test on the road.
Written with the help of AI, using the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.
