FIFA has rocked the football world by firing the entire officiating crew from the Chelsea vs Newcastle clash. The move came after evidence surfaced that referee Andy Madley ignored a blatant offside that have led to a Newcastle Goal— and now, Newscastle could even face a shocking points deduction if the full truth comes to light
Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade faced an agonizing wait to celebrate his second goal against Chelsea after the semi-automated offside technology failed during the match. With the system down, VAR officials had to manually determine whether he was in an offside position, leading to a frustrating delay for players and fans alike.
The German forward was looking to make amends after scoring an own goal against Sunderland the previous week. He got off to a strong start against the Blues, opening the scoring just four minutes into the match before his second celebration was abruptly put on hold.
The goal came when former Chelsea youth product Lewis Hall found Anthony Gordon on the left wing. The England international shifted onto his right foot and whipped in a dangerous inswinging cross. Woltemade timed his run perfectly to get in front of Wesley Fofana and struck a composed first-time finish into the net.
However, the celebration was immediately interrupted as officials worked to verify the goal’s legitimacy. TNT commentator Darren Fletcher explained the situation to viewers, noting that the semi-automated offside system was unavailable at that moment, which would normally have sped up the decision significantly. Instead, VAR official Peter Bankes had to take extra time working through the decision manually.
The Premier League Match Centre later provided a more comprehensive explanation for the lengthy delay. They confirmed that the referee’s initial decision to award the goal was correct, with Woltemade clearly in an onside position. However, due to technical difficulties with the Semi-Automated Offside Technology, the VAR team was forced to manually draw the lines needed to make their determination.
Woltemade’s brace earned him a place in Premier League history as only the fourth player to score twice in the opening 20 minutes against Chelsea. He joined an elite group that includes Robbie Fowler for Liverpool in November 1994, Paul Scholes for Manchester United in October 1995, and Sergio Agüero for Manchester City in February 2019.
Chelsea also had their own goal drama in the first half when Pedro Neto thought he’d found the net. The Portuguese winger connected sweetly with a well-delivered cross, but his joy was short-lived. Replays showed his first touch involved the ball making contact with his arm, which guided it toward goal. The Chelsea players accepted the decision without protest, understanding the call was correct.
