Tyrick Mitchell's relieved face said it all. There were 51 minutes on the clock when Mitchell put through his own net against Newcastle United, but VAR came to the Crystal Palace's defender's rescue after Joe Willock was adjudged to have fouled Vicente Guaita in the build-up.
In actual fact, it was Mitchell who pushed Willock into the goalkeeper yet, bizarrely, referee Michael Salisbury reversed his decision after going over to the pitchside monitor during the 0-0 draw at St James' Park. A furious Joelinton could not believe it as stand-in skipper Kieran Trippier ushered his team-mate away so that he could hear Salisbury's explanation.
Eddie Howe felt the officials were 'swayed' by Guaita staying down; Patrick Vieira, for his part, believed it was a 'clear foul' by Willock on Guaita despite Mitchell's push but you would not expect the Crystal Palace boss to say different.
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As frustrated as Newcastle were with the decision, the reality is this was an afternoon where the Magpies wasted a number of chances to claim their first win since the opening day. In fact, Newcastle had 23 shots all told yet, somehow, the hosts could not find a way past Guaita as the absence of Bruno Guimaraes, Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson, the club's top three scorers last season, was keenly felt.
These are the fixtures Newcastle are going to need to find a way to take all three points in, particularly at home this season, but this does not necessarily feel like a five-game winless run of years gone by. Nor should it following more than £200m of investment in 2022.
Compared to the first six league fixtures of last season, when Newcastle had already suffered three defeats and failed to win a single game, the Magpies have only lost one match and Howe's side have conceded eight fewer goals despite a much trickier start. Newcastle are also having more possession and, even before Saturday's shot fest, Howe's side had not averaged more efforts on target per game since Sir Bobby Robson's time in charge.
Off the ball, too, Newcastle have made real strides, becoming a more effective pressing unit. At one point in the first half, Eddie Howe roared: "Come on guys!" as he clapped his hands. Seconds later, the tireless Miguel Almiron chased back to win possession.
These sorts of developments will eventually yield wins, but you can see why Fabian Schar admitted after the game that the 0-0 draw 'felt like a defeat' even if this was still a very different feeling to the 'sombre' mood after the controversial late loss at Anfield three days previously. Rather than letting that sucker punch from Fabio Carvalho affect his side, Howe wanted his players to bottle that feeling, to use it as fuel.
Newcastle quickly had a chance to get that game out of their system against Palace and, as much as that was a challenge physically - a third Premier League fixture in less than a week - it was a welcome opportunity, too, for the Magpies to get their second win of the campaign in the first of a decent run of fixtures at St James'.
"I expect St James' Park to be rocking again," Howe told reporters before the game. "The Anfield experience at the end there will hopefully get the crowd into the game from minute one and I certainly want to see a positive reaction from my team from what happened."
There was never any danger of Newcastle fans not being up for this one, particularly when there was also the small matter of record signing Alexander Isak making his home debut. Isak picked up a dead leg against Liverpool on his first outing for the club, but the Sweden international was not about to pass up the chance to walk out in front at St James' for the first time. Isak soon had a glorious opportunity to introduce himself after just 14 minutes.
Isak closed down Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen's attempted diagonal just inside Newcastle's half and raced clear one-on-one with Guaita. Given the expertise Isak showed in front of goal on his debut at Anfield three days previously, both for his goal and his disallowed finish, Newcastle supporters must have thought they were about to see the net ripple as they held their breath. However, Isak failed to lift the ball over Guaita with an attempted dinked finish and the Spaniard was able to swat it away.
It was still so early in the game, but it felt like a big moment. Newcastle, suddenly, looked a little leggy as Palace upset the hosts' rhythm and turned the game into a scrap and the visitors soon offered a timely reminder of the threat they carry on the break before the half-hour mark. Cheick Doucoure's shot from distance ended up picking out Jean-Philippe Mateta just inside the box and the Palace striker's effort on the turn forced Pope into a strong stop with his right hand.
It was not quite clicking for Newcastle in open play in the final third but, from set-pieces, the Magpies got back on top and really started to turn the screw. There were 34 minutes on the clock when Matt Targett's corner was met by the head of Sean Longstaff but Guaita, somehow, kept it out. Joelinton tried to bundle home the rebound, but was denied by a brilliant recovery tackle from Doucoure before Marc Guehi then blocked Sven Botman's follow-up effort.
Newcastle were pushing and, just a couple of minutes later, Targett stepped up once more but, this time, with a free-kick from out on the left. After some pinball inside the area, Mateta's attempted clearance only fell as far as Miguel Almiron on the edge of the box. Almiron, who has previously scored some memorable goals against Palace, lifted the ball in the air before unleashing a volley, which was deflected onto the foot of the post with Guaita beaten.
Palace looked like they needed half-time just as Newcastle had found a second wind. Right before the break, Trippier swung in a testing delivery from the right to pick out Botman at the far post. The Dutchman chested the ball down before letting fly, but Guaita clawed it away as the score stayed goalless at half-time.
That was the cue for some special guests to make their way down pitchside. Sam Fender was among those watching on at St James' before tickets for the singer's huge summer gig at the stadium go on sale next week and supporters got a little sneak peek of what to expect when saxophonist Johnny 'Blue Hat' Davis played 'Local Hero' on the touchline.
You really could hear a pin drop as Fender and his bandmates watched arm in arm in the dugout and the roar that followed Davis' solo was deafening. Even substitute Dan Burn clapped along as he warmed up on the pitch.
All the while, in the away dressing room, you can be sure Palace used the break to try and tighten up at dead ball situations, but Newcastle continued to find joy from free-kicks and corners after the break. In fact, the hosts soon had the ball in the net.
Trippier's free-kick was headed across goal by Botman and then knocked in by Mitchell after Willock and Guaita collided. However, following a VAR check, the goal was disallowed despite Mitchell nudging Willock into the goalkeeper.
Newcastle supporters were furious, but their afternoon could have got a lot worse in the 73rd minute when Odsonne Edouard wriggled past three players inside the area. However, Pope kept out the substitute's strike with his shin.
Howe threw on the lively Elliot Anderson, among others, in search of a winner and Isak slipped Willock in with a smart through ball late on. However, the unbeatable Guaita kept out the midfielder's drilled effort with a finger-tip save. It was one of those days.
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