Chris Kavanagh handed more Premier League punishment after Newcastle United horror show

Chris Kavanagh and his officiating team came under heavy scrutiny following Newcastle United’s 3–1 FA Cup fourth-round victory over Aston Villa.

For the second consecutive week, Kavanagh has been left off Premier League match duties after his controversial performance at Villa Park. He and assistant referee Nick Greenhalgh were not selected for top-flight action last weekend after a string of decisions nearly proved costly for Newcastle.

Greenhalgh failed to identify an offside in the build-up to Tammy Abraham’s opening goal. He also did not step in when Kavanagh awarded a free-kick instead of a penalty after Kieran Trippier’s cross clearly struck Lucas Digne’s arm inside the area.

Former Manchester United and England star labelled the call as one of the worst decisions he had witnessed in football. Ironically, the resulting free-kick led to Newcastle’s equaliser when Sandro Tonali’s effort deflected off Douglas Luiz and found the net.

Kavanagh Overlooked Again

This weekend, Greenhalgh has once more been excluded from Premier League appointments, while Kavanagh has only been assigned as fourth official for Liverpool’s home fixture against West Ham United on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Gary Beswick — the other assistant involved in the Villa controversy — faced no repercussions. He officiated during Liverpool’s 1–0 win at Nottingham Forest and will serve as assistant VAR for Burnley’s clash with Brentford.

Eddie Howe Responds Calmly

Newcastle manager chose a measured tone despite criticism from pundits including and Rooney.

Reflecting on the game, Howe admitted the first half was difficult for his side and suggested several decisions went against them. However, he maintained that officials make calls based on what they see in the moment and insisted errors were not intentional.

He acknowledged that without VAR, a number of mistakes occurred, but praised his players for remaining composed. According to Howe, their ability to control emotions and stay focused ultimately contributed to a stronger second-half performance despite feeling aggrieved by earlier decisions.