In the words of Fabian Schar, it was a draw that felt like a defeat. Newcastle United moved on quickly from their Anfield agony to dominate against Crystal Palace, yet could not find a way to break the deadlock.
Alexander Isak was denied a goal on his home debut by Vincente Guiata after running through one-on-on in front of the Gallowgate. Miguel Almiron saw his deflected effort bounce off the base of the post, while Joe Willock came close on several occasions to netting his first goal of the season.
It was the midfielder who also found himself at the centre of the game's most controversial moment when Newcastle did find the net in the goalless stalemate. Willock was penalised for a collision with Guaita as the ball was deflected in by Tyrick Mitchell, only to be ruled out following a VAR review despite what looked to be a push in the back from the full-back.
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Eddie Howe believes his side had a 'perfectly good goal' ruled out, while Willock insists he was shoved and was left 'very disappointed' by the call. Magpies legend Alan Shearer could not hide his fury on social media and in the Match of the Day studio, labelling it 'abysmal', 'disgraceful' and 'shocking'.
It is the latest in a series of contentious refereeing decisions which have unfortunately dominated the talking points on Tyneside this season. Newcastle currently 11th in the Premier League, having won once and only lost once in their opening six matches.
But in every fixture since that opening-day victory over Nottingham Forest, the Toon Army have been left frustrated by a contentious decision. Stills of each incident have shared widely on social media by disgruntled supporters as questions over the standard of refereeing are now being asked on a weekly basis.
Conspiracy talk among certain fans has been allowed to grow as United have had to contend with a succession of dubious calls in their opponents favour. This dissatisfaction bubbling under the surface has now come to the fore, due to a four-day spell where Newcastle have seen two results swing on the decisions of referees.
First, the defeat at Liverpool. Isak thought he had fired the visitors into a two-goal lead, only for VAR to judge the debutant offside by the slimmest of margins. But that was nothing compared to the tension which boiled over as Fabio Carvalho struck the winner in the 98th minute.
Five minutes were added on, but Andre Marriner allowed a further three to be played as the visitors were accused of time-wasting. Nick Pope spent a little over a minute on the turf for treatment in stoppage time, and Shearer later questioned the inconsistency in the referee's decision-making.
Of course, Newcastle looked to frustrate their hosts and towards the end of a gruelling contest, would likely have settled for a point. However, Shearer would go on to ask how Marriner could judge a minimum of five minutes to be added from a whole half of action, but then play for a further three from this five minutes alone.
Howe's side were poor in their defending for that final corner, but play should not have been allowed to reach that stage. Instead of picking up a deserved point in the absence of several key stars, the visitors were instead left to lick their wounds after leaving empty-handed.
Newcastle's head coach admitted it was 'painful' blow, but his side still rallied to produce a performance that should have earned three points against Palace. The Magpies were guilty of squandering numerous chances to score, while visiting defender Joel Ward praised Guiata for 'worldie' saves to keep the hosts out.
Yet once again, United were left enraged by a decision which proved decisive in the result. In the space of four days, VAR and referee calls have led to Newcastle seeing a draw turn into a last-minute loss, and a potential win finish as a stalemate.
It is obviously a case of ifs and maybes. Should Mitchell's own-goal have been allowed to stand, Palace would have had to chase the game and this could have produced an equaliser. On the other hand, this greater attacking intent could have opened the space to allow Newcastle to score a second and seal the points.
But in any case, it is impossible to ignore the role controversial calls has played in Newcastle banking just one point instead of four. The margins in the Premier League are that slim, and this is proven by a look at last season's table.
The average gap between each league position from seventh to 17th - with the 'Big Six' removed and a relegation battle the Magpies look unlikely to be involved in - was 1.8 points. The biggest cushion in this section of the table was five points between 14th-placed Aston Villa and Southampton below.
Controversial calls in the last four days alone have played their part in costing Newcastle three points. That is before you take into account the other contentious decisions such as the penalty appeals in the draws with Manchester City and Wolves.
Merit payments are said to be worth an additional £2.2 million for each position when it comes to the final league table. This will not be the biggest concern to Howe or Newcastle fans right now, but already these contentious calls look as though it could cost the club millions come the end of the campaign.
The season is only six-matches old, and the Magpies are not the only club to suffer from inconsistent refereeing decisions as this weekend has already proven. But history tells us the margins in the Premier League are slim, and Howe will be hoping his side's finish in his first full season in charge will not come with this caveat of ifs and maybes.
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