Gary Lineker puts Alan Shearer right on Newcastle United v Manchester City controversy

1 month ago 16

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Gary Lineker on the ball on Saturday night.

Match of The Day analysing the matches yesterday.

Those games including of course Newcastle 1 Manchester City 1.

The fightback by Eddie Howe’s side ended up knocking Pep Guardiola’s team off the top of the table.

Anthony Gordon both winning the penalty and scoring it, to earn United a deserved point.

A match full of incident that prompted debate.

However, Gary Lineker putting Alan Shearer right on one big moment.

After the match at St James’ Park, via Twitter a Liverpool fan challenged Alan Shearer on whether he had the ‘same energy’ towards the Anthony Gordon penalty decision as he did towards the penalty decision Diego Jota won in the 4-2 match at Anfield against Newcastle United on New Year’s Day.

Alan Shearer replying to the Liverpool fan about the Anthony Gordon decision: “I didn’t think it was a penalty. [Is] That OK?”

Gary Lineker brough up what Alan Shearer had said, when presenting Match of The Day last night:

“Alan Shearer thought it wasn’t a penalty against his own team.

“That looks like a penalty to me.

“From someone who has been in that position many times.

“You know as a striker, that if you are going through and the goalkeeper comes out and doesn’t get the ball, then he will be moving at you at such pace that the slightest little flick will knock you down.

“There is no divine right, for a striker to have to leap over the goalkeeper.

“So let him hit you.

“Then it is a penalty.

“It is different from diving, very different.”

A couple of observations.

Firstly, I think the two decisions were very different. Ederson is clearly shown to have made contact with Anthony Gordon, that contact for sure brings the Newcastle player down. Whereas at Anfield in January, I didn’t see any camera angle that ever proved for sure Dubravka made any contact with Jota AND the Liverpool striker ran on a few more yards before deciding to throw himself to the ground, once he realised he had hit the ball too far when knocking it past the Newcastle keeper, so scoring would be very difficult, if not impossible, if staying on his feet.

Secondly, I think overall, Alan Shearer is excellent now as a pundit. However, the odd time, I do feel that he occasionally goes too far in showing he is not Newcastle United biased on key incidents, meaning that in the heat of the moment he can maybe go against what he really thinks deep down. Or what he would say if a neutral incident not involving NUFC. Whereas I find pretty much every other pundit has no shame and will always take the side of their former team, regardless of circumstances.

Of course, the controversial penalty decision that everybody SHOULD be talking about, was when Walker clearly takes out Joelinton late on yesterday when the Brazilian only had the Man City keeper to beat, Walker nowhere near getting the ball. Yet no penalty given and no proper analysis on this massive refereeing blunder by pretty much anybody.

Newcastle 1 Manchester City 1 – Saturday 28 September 12.30pm

(Stats via BBC Sport)

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Gordon 58 pen

Man City:

Gvardiol 35

Possession was Newcastle 38% Man City 62%

Total shots were Newcastle 11 Man City 16

Shots on target were Newcastle 4 Man City 6

Corners were Newcastle 5 Man City 6

Touches in the box Newcastle 25 Man City 39