How is that not a penalty? Fifa has announced very sad news for the referee officiating the match between Newcastle United Vs Manchester City after Dangerous Phil Foden Tackle
Manchester City’s players and coaching staff erupted in frustration after officials denied what appeared to be a clear penalty when Phil Foden was brought down inside the box by Fabian Schar during their clash with Newcastle.
The controversial incident unfolded in the 17th minute when Jeremy Doku threaded a pass to Foden in the penalty area. The Manchester City attacker fired his shot wide of the post, but what happened next sparked fury on the City bench.
As Foden unleashed his effort, Schar lunged in with a desperate last-ditch challenge on the England international. The Newcastle defender’s tackle made clear contact with Foden’s left foot—crucially, after the ball had already gone.
The impact left Foden clutching his left foot as he tumbled to the ground, prompting immediate and passionate appeals from his teammates for a penalty. However, despite a VAR review of Schar’s challenge, officials opted to maintain the original on-field decision of no foul.
Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards, analyzing the incident on Sky Sports, suggested that Schar may have escaped punishment simply because Foden had already taken his shot.
The decision sparked outrage among City supporters on social media. ‘Let’s be real, that’s a stonewall penalty on Foden,’ one fan wrote passionately.
Another added: ‘”He already got the shot away”—so what? If a player makes a pass in midfield and then receives this kind of challenge, it’s called as a foul and probably earns a booking.’
‘More shocking VAR decisions,’ commented another frustrated viewer. ‘Foden was completely wiped out with no penalty given. It doesn’t matter whether he got his shot away first—it’s still a foul.’
A third supporter questioned the consistency: ‘How is that not a penalty on Foden? If that exact challenge happens anywhere else on the pitch, we’re getting a free kick 100%.’
The controversy proved costly as Newcastle went on to claim a dramatic 2-1 victory over Manchester City—a damaging result for Pep Guardiola’s side in their pursuit of Premier League leaders Arsenal.
Harvey Barnes broke the deadlock for the Magpies in the 63rd minute, only for Ruben Dias to restore parity five minutes later. However, Newcastle regained their advantage in the 70th minute when Barnes struck from close range to complete the turnaround.
Even Barnes’ winner didn’t escape controversy, as it required a lengthy VAR review lasting nearly five minutes. Manchester City protested vehemently, claiming there had been an offside infringement in the buildup, but once again the goal was allowed to stand.
