Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett believes VAR should have intervened for a clear penalty on Phil Foden during Manchester City’s 2-1 loss to Newcastle, arguing it was undoubtedly a foul.
According to a report from Football Insider, former PGMOL boss Keith Hackett has strongly criticised the use of VAR in Manchester City’s 2–1 loss to Newcastle United, saying the video officials “should have intervened” after a foul on Phil Foden.
Hackett told the publication that Foden was taken out by Fabian Schär inside the box — a challenge that he says “was a foul, and the fact that Foden played the ball forward does not, in law, negate the foul.”
He argued that if such a challenge had occurred in midfield, it would have been a free kick, and VAR should have stepped in to review the incident.
He added that Manchester City “can feel aggrieved” by the decision, and suggests that the non-call “transformed the whole game,” especially given Newcastle’s intensity and the energy drawn from their home crowd.
Hackett’s comments add to growing criticism over VAR’s consistency and intervention standards, especially in high-stakes Premier League games.