Arsenal
Aston Villa
Chelsea
Crystal Palace
Everton
Fulham
Leeds United
Liverpool
Manchester City
Manchester United
Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest
Sunderland
Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United
Wolverhampton Wanderers
News
Alan Shearer admits Newcastle penalty decision was ‘soft’ vs Wolves
A Chris Wood penalty earned Newcastle United all three points in their crucial home clash with Wolves last night.
Alan Shearer is a man who knows a thing or two about winning and scoring penalties at St James’ Park and he was on punditry duty last night.
As per Shearer admitted that the decision to award the crucial spot-kick was ‘soft’ on a night where Newcastle all but secured their Premier League safety.
“It is a really tricky situation because if it is given against me, I’d be disappointed but the goalkeeper makes a crazy decision in coming out like that,” said Shearer.
“Chris Wood makes sure there’s contact. It’s clever, I’ve seen it lots and lots of times, you’re never going to get that overturned once a referee has given it.
“I’d be disappointed if it was given against Newcastle, simply because Chris Wood makes sure there is contact there, he runs into the goalkeeper, he leaves his leg there. In his defence, the goalkeeper makes a crazy decision coming out and he invites the forward to do that.
“So many clubs, so many players do that, its quite common to do that now, I’m not saying I think it’s a certain penalty, no. It was soft. We’ve seen it so many times, players leave their dangling leg for the keeper to come out. He is on his way down already, he finds the goalkeeper’s leg.”
You can see the incident in the video above and as the commentator says, Jose Sa gives the referee a decision to make.
Wood is clever, as Shearer acknowledges and it gets him a chance to win his side the game, which he duly converted.
Wood needed that goal, and he deserves it for the way he has worked tirelessly since coming in with no period of adjustment to speak of.
There was a time when Newcastle would have really struggled without Callum Wilson up front but Wood has changed that and the celebrations when he scored told the story of how he felt.