Former professional footballer Alan Shearer has taken the opportunity to respond to Jeff Stelling’s recent criticism of Match of the Day, in light of Newcastle’s contentious second penalty against West Ham, which was not addressed on the programme.
During Saturday’s match, Newcastle staged an impressive comeback to secure a 4-3 victory over West Ham, despite being 3-1 down with only 13 minutes of regular time remaining. The pivotal moment occurred when West Ham’s Kalvin Phillips fouled Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon inside the penalty area, resulting in the referee awarding a penalty after VAR intervention. This decision sparked Newcastle’s comeback, ultimately leading to their triumph.
Following the match, Stelling expressed his surprise and disappointment on social media, noting that Match of the Day had opted not to discuss the contentious penalty decision, despite it being one of the most hotly-debated incidents of the weekend. Stelling’s post garnered widespread support from fans, accumulating over 6,000 likes within 24 hours.
In response to the criticism, Alan Shearer provided an explanation for the exclusion of the penalty incident from the show. Shearer highlighted that time constraints of the programme may have influenced the decision to omit the discussion of the penalty, acknowledging that the producers are faced with limited time to cover all the key moments in a match.
The controversy surrounding the penalty decision has sparked differing opinions, with West Ham manager David Moyes expressing his disagreement with the referee’s ruling. Similarly, pundit Owen Hargreaves sympathised with West Ham, recognizing the tough call the referees faced in making the penalty decision.
Ultimately, the choice to not feature the penalty incident on Match of the Day has ignited substantial debate, dividing fans and pundits on whether Newcastle should have been awarded the controversial penalty.
We encourage you to share your thoughts on the matter and engage in the dialogue in the comments section.