Monday 10 December 2018 09:48, UK
Rafael Benitez has called for the Premier League to introduce VAR immediately after Newcastle were beaten 2-1 by Wolves.
The hosts were left to play 33 minutes with 10 men when referee Mike Dean showed DeAndre Yedlin a straight red card for bringing down Diogo Jota while Wily Boly escaped punishment for elbowing Ayoze Perez in the penalty area.
It looked like Benitez's side had done enough to hold on for a point until Matt Doherty pounced in the fourth minute of stoppage time to seal Wolves' first away win in two months.
The Premier League confirmed in November that its clubs have agreed in principle for the technology to be used from the 2019/20 season but there are no plans to implement it this season.
Benitez thinks the authorities should fast-track VAR.
"We need VAR right now," he said.
"So if you see the incidents today. It's so obvious - the red card and the elbow in the face of Ayoze Perez. We need the VAR right now."
The hosts were reduced to 10 men in the 57th minute when, under no pressure at all, Yedlin slipped as he tried to play the ball to Jamaal Lascelles. It allowed Jota to nip and burst past the American, who deliberately pulled him back just outside the penalty area leaving the referee with no choice but to brandish a red card.
Benitez thought it was a harsh call by referee Mike Dean.
"The ball was far away and he was close enough to see it was not a clear chance," he said.
"He [Jota] was pulling him and he [Yedlin] was pulling him - but I don't want to talk about that as it's so obvious. I think the team was doing well enough to win the game - it's very difficult in these situations."
Benitez, already upset by the decision to send off Yedlin, was further frustrated when Perez was left clutching his face on the floor following a challenge from Willy Boly.
Sky Sports pundits Matt Murray and Shola Ameobi both believed Boly should have been dismissed for his challenge and although Benitez refused to comment on the incident, he implied that it was obvious the referee had missed it.
"I don't want to talk about the referees as it's wrong - but it's so clear from the pictures," he said.
"It's a pity as you have a city behind the team, these situations can kill your confidence.
"I will not talk about that - it's so obvious everyone can see."
