Ex-PGMOL chief gives verdict on Newcastle penalty shout vs Man Utd amid Neville's bizarre theory

Previous PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has passed on his judgment on whether Newcastle need to have been passed on a penalty in their 1-0 loss to Individual Utd on Boxing Day.

Patrick Dorgu racked upwards the singular ambition of the gallery with a thrilling volley as Individual Utd took all 3 junctures and also ferried upwards to 5th in the Premier League, forward of the Saturday fixtures.

Both sides possessed sweet odds to match the scoreline and also Newcastle reckoned they can have possessed a penalty once the sphere struck Lisandro Martinez’s hand merely past the hour mark.

Fabian Schar took a vaccination in the clogged penalty formulate with the sphere plainly striking Martinez’s arm yet VAR mulled the wreck and also decided against awarding the penalty.

Perishable on his judgment on the wreck, previous PGMOL chief Hackett insisted that the officials came to the right persistence on Boxing Day.

Hackett informed Football Insider: “There is an expectation presently that, once the sphere affects the hand or arm, after that that is an offense. The actuality is that this details wreck was instead arduous to judge for the referee. He possessed to formulate whether the bod kind was lended bigger, was their mobility gizmo in the instruction of the sphere, and also was the reaction calculated?

“I think there’s sufficient suspicion in that persistence for the referee to say ‘zero’, and also in addition VAR, offered that there wasn’t quality vital to celebrate a penalty.”

💥 “The actuality is…” – Ex-PL ref @HACKETTREF unravels Lisandro Martinez handball controversy in Individual United-Newcastle clash. pic.twitter.com/bqaogKTXJB

— Football Insider (@footyinsider247) December 26, 2025

Gary Neville, that was on Sky Sporting activities description, came to the annoyingly same conclusion as the VAR officials at Stockley Park with reciprocal call between Martinez and also Malick Thiaw maintaining the Individual Utd star from offering away a penalty.

Neville claimed: “There is a mammoth scream. Schar hits it, his arm is upwards looming his head and also it’s stretched. Is it offered that he’s persuading Thiaw? That can merely save him. He’s literally screwing up with the opposite other Newcastle centre-earlier, his arms are currently there.

“I think the reality he has merely possessed a wrestle with the opposite other centre-earlier can merely save him.

“He is expression the context is offered that there’s another case whereby he is fighting with another gamer and also his arms are currently upwards there and also he’s merely not obtained earlier down.”

Sky Sporting activities analyst Peter Drury showed up to agree with Neville, he added: “That’s around the world the [VAR] description for the reality that there won’t be a penalty.”

Multiple adherents reckoned it need to have been a penalty, while The Individualist’s Adam Clery earned on social media: ‘I didn’t think they can top the Gordon thing against Chelsea yet “it’s not a handball offered that he’s currently persuading Thiaw in the earlier” can be comfy.

‘And that sight was resembled by a guy else, that claimed: “Not a penalty offered that he’s persuading a guy” has to be a top 5 all timer.’