Late-Game Drama and Referee Rumble: Arsenal Snatches Win at St James’ Park

Key moments and decisions

Newcastle United hosted Arsenal at St James' Park in the Premier League's sixth round, and a wave of refereeing decisions sparked wide debate and drew angry reactions from both sides.

The match finished 2-1 to Arsenal, who came from behind thanks to two late goals after trailing 1-0 at half-time.

Newcastle opened the scoring through Nick Vollendam in the 34th minute, Arsenal equalised via Mikel Merino in the 85th minute and Gabriel Magalhães headed the dramatic winner in stoppage time from a cross by Martin Odegaard.

The controversy centered on several calls reviewed by VAR and the officials. In the 14th minute a penalty was initially awarded to Arsenal for a foul by Newcastle keeper Nick Pope on Victor Giocares, but the decision was overturned after a VAR check.

Later, Arsenal argued for a penalty following a challenge near the end of the first half, but the referee's call remained firm after review.

In the final minutes, a handball claim against Gabriel Magalhães was not given, a decision that VAR did not overturn.

After the final whistle, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta praised his side's performance: "Proud, we deserved the win... we showed our identity and quality in a dramatic fashion." He added that the team must bring this level to tougher away games to keep climbing the table.

Fans and pundits even teased about the officiating, some noting that the referee Jarred Gillet is Australian and allegedly has ties to Liverpool, a claim that did not alter the outcome.

Arsenal's late winner narrows the gap to league leaders Liverpool to two points, with Arsenal moving to 13 points and Newcastle on six.

Punchline time: if refereeing were a sport, today the whistle would win "Best Supporting Actor." Punchline 2: Arsenal's late winner proves that in football, patience is a virtue and VAR is a very expensive reminder to rewatch the highlights.