Rafael Benitez hopes Newcastle get 'lucky decisions' from referees
Friday 15 February 2019 14:16, UK
Rafael Benitez hopes Newcastle get some lucky decisions from Premier League referees after Willy Boly's controversial late goal for Wolves cost his side victory on Monday.
The Magpies are currently in Alicante, Spain for a warm-weather training camp as they prepare for crucial back-to-back Premier League home games.
When asked if the mid-season break can inspire a good run for his side, Benitez told Sky Sports: "Hopefully - that would be perfect, but you never know because the Premier League is very difficult.
"If we work the same way we have been working, and are lucky with the (refereeing) decisions, I think we can get three points in the next games."
Benitez's team, who are currently 16th and just one point above the relegation zone, welcome bottom-placed Huddersfield to St. James' Park on February 23 before hosting fellow-strugglers Burnley three days later.
They were on course to shock high-flying Wolves at Molineux on Monday before Boly's 95th-minute leveller - in which he appeared to have his arms over Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka - forced them to settle for a point.
Benitez compared it to when Liverpool were awarded a penalty for an alleged foul on Mohamed Salah during their defeat to Jurgen Klopp's side in December, with Paul Dummett harshly judged to have brought him to ground.
"I don't want to create a polemic about anything, but you see the penalty of Salah that was just a touch on his shoulder and you can see here the foul and this one with the two arms," Benitez added.
"You can analyse however you want, but one thing we always talk about is consistency in the decisions."
