Newcastle United star slams criticism of Tottenham incident

Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson has responded to claims his goal against Tottenham should have been disallowed. The Magpies landed a huge win over Tottenham over the weekend, moving into the top four with a 2-1 win over Spurs side that has been backed to put together a title charge this season.

Wilson scored the opening goal in that game in controversial circumstances. The Newcastle striker chased down Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who touched the ball beyond his marker. But Wilson stood his ground, and when Lloris tried to retrieve the ball. he bumped into Wilson and fell to the ground, claiming a free-kick. Wilson then retrieved the ball himself and chipped the ball into the largely empty net. Crucially, the Newcastle frontman did not trip Lloris or put his arms out to block him, but rather he refused to move.

The referee and VAR did not see it as a foul, and the goal stood, allowing Eddie Howe’s men to go on to score a second and put the game just beyond Tottenham. But like any controversial decision at this level, there has been criticism, with some feeling a foul should have been given. For Wilson, though, there is nothing he could have done to avoid the situation.

“The ball’s gone over the top, I’m looking at the ball, I turn, Lloris is running at me and I stop, slam on the brakes and he just touches the ball and jumps into me – what do you expect me to do? So, for me, I’m playing on because I didn’t feel no contact,” he told the The Footballer’s Football podcast “When you run into a brick wall, you bounce off. You come off second-best.”

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher also recently agreed with the decision, telling Sky Sports News: “I think it’s a good goal. It will be interesting, we will get the goalkeepers’ union and the forwards’ union, so this could be a split vote, but for me, there is nothing wrong. Lloris goes into him, I don’t know where Wilson can go, and for me, it’s good play. It’s a good finish, and I think the referee was right to give the goal. A quick check and VAR concur.”