Bournemouth had their hopes of a dramatic late win dashed as VAR disallowed a stoppage-time goal, resulting in a 1-1 draw against Newcastle United at the Vitality Stadium.
Dango Ouattara seemed to have clinched victory with a header from Lewis Cook’s corner in the dying moments of the match. However, after a VAR review, the goal was ruled out.
The review found that Ouattara had used his left arm to guide the ball over the line, much to the dismay of Bournemouth’s manager, Andoni Iraola.
Newcastle, led by Alexander Isak who was keen to open his scoring account for the season, initially took control of the game.
Yet, their early promise faded as Bournemouth’s aggressive pressing began to take effect. The Cherries’ persistence paid off in the 37th minute when Marcus Tavernier converted a cross from Antoine Semenyo, who had earlier struck the crossbar.
Semenyo continued to make an impact with a couple of near-misses and an assist for Evanilson shortly after the hour mark.
Despite an xG value of 0.63 for that chance, Evanilson was unable to convert, leaving Newcastle an opportunity to equalize.
They seized it with 13 minutes remaining when Harvey Barnes’ cross was met by Anthony Gordon, whose first-time finish beat Neto.
Bournemouth thought they had snatched a win in the 93rd minute when Ouattara headed home Cook’s delivery.
But after a review, VAR official Simon Hooper advised referee Coote to overturn the decision due to Ouattara’s use of his arm.
The ruling sparked frustration among the Bournemouth supporters and a tense atmosphere in the stadium.
For this match, Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola made several changes, including the debut of record signing Evanilson.
Marcos Senesi, Ryan Christie, Justin Kluivert, and Julian Araujo were introduced into the starting lineup, while Dean Huijsen, Adam Smith, Dango Ouattara, Alex Scott, and Luis Sinisterra were left out.
On the other hand, Newcastle’s Eddie Howe made two adjustments to the team that won against Southampton, with Emil Krafth and former Bournemouth player Lloyd Kelly replacing the suspended Fabian Schar and Lewis Hall.
The disallowed goal and the draw leave Bournemouth in 14th place in the Premier League, having drawn their last two games, while Newcastle climbs to 5th in the early-season standings.
