Frustrated Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez insists the Premier League should have video assistant referees in place immediately after watching his side lose 2-1 at home to Wolves.
The Spaniard felt his team were on the wrong end of some poor refereeing calls before Matt Doherty headed Wolves’ winning goal in stoppage time at the end of the game.
Irish international Doherty nodded home after Diogo Jota’s shot was pushed into his path in the 95th minute.
Ayoze Perez’s superb header had pulled Newcastle level after Jota put Wolves into a first-half lead at St James’ Park.
Benitez clearly felt the game hinged on the decision to send DeAndre Yedlin off just before the hour mark.
The defender challenged Jota outside the box, with Jamaal Lascelles seemingly in a covering position, but referee Mike Dean produced a straight red card.
Newcastle also had a rejected penalty claim for a Willy Boly challenge on Perez, and it left Benitez feeling as though VAR would have turned things dramatically in his favour. “We need VAR now,” said Benitez.
“In this game it would have changed everything. We were doing enough to control the game. How can you explain those decisions to all our fans?”
“The ball was far away [from goal] and there were other men close enough that it wasn’t a red card. “You can guarantee to me that the player in the corner of the box can score in the top corner every time? It cannot be a red card.”
Newcastle head for Huddersfield next Saturday. The Magpies are 3.25 to win and 2.38 to lose at the John Smith’s Stadium, with the draw 3.10.
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