Premier League have clarified ‘controversial’ decision in Leeds United v Newcastle United match

The Premier League has clarified a controversial moment during the match between Leeds United and Newcastle United. In the opening minute of the game, Leeds United won a corner which was cleared awkwardly. As Matias Fernandez-Pardo was running out of the box, the ball struck his arm, leading to cries for a possible penalty from the Leeds United players and fans.

However, it was made clear that the incident was accidental, as Fernandez-Pardo did not intentionally handle the ball, it did not occur in a dangerous goal-scoring position, and Newcastle United did not gain any advantage. The referee, Michael Salisbury, confirmed during the match that he did not see it as a penalty and informed VAR John Brooks who agreed, stating: "Confirming the on-field decision to play on – the ball just bounces up and inadvertently hits the arm of the defender".

The commentators on Sky Sports were heavily biased towards Leeds United, frequently mentioning the incident even though Leeds went on to score four goals, including an own goal. The match ended with a score of Leeds 4 Newcastle 1.