Farke bemoans penalty decision in ´heart-breaking´ Newcastle defeat

Daniel Farke claimed Newcastle United’s late leveller was “never a penalty” before Leeds United’s “heart-breaking” 4-3 defeat on Wednesday.

Leeds somehow fell on the wrong side of a seven-goal thriller, despite leading three times at St. James’ Park through Brenden Aaronson’s double and a Dominic Calvert-Lewin penalty.

But after Harvey Barnes delivered a remarkable winner in the 102nd minute, Farke was left aggrieved with a decision 11 minutes earlier that saw Bruno Guimaraes make it 3-3 from 12 yards.

Aaronson was penalised for handball when jumping to block a right-sided cross, though the Leeds boss felt referee Michael Salisbury should have waved play on.

“It was more like on the line, but not one intention to play the ball,” the German told Sky Sports.

“In this sense of the game, it should never be a penaltly but we have to accept it. There was a lot of pressure on the referees with the whole home crowd looking for a penalty.”

Leeds became the first team since themselves to go ahead three times in a Premier League game and then lose, doing so previously in November 2022 against Tottenham in a 4-3 defeat.

And that failure to hold onto multiple advantages saw their six-game unbeaten run in the competition come to an end, though 16th-placed Leeds remain eight points clear of the relegation zone.

“Football. Sometimes you have such a heartbreaking moment at the end in an away game,” Farke added. “I think it was a top game, an advertisement for the Premier League.

“There were mistakes otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many goals. The lads showed an inspired performance, one of our best away performances here at Newcastle.

“It’s such a tough place to go and to show such a brave performance, to lead three times, I’m pretty proud of my lads.”

102 – Harvey Barnes 102nd-minute goal for Newcastle against Leeds (101:48) is the latest winner on record (from 2006-07) scored in a Premier League match. Bedlam. pic.twitter.com/qk0b6Tfoi7

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 7, 2026

Aaronson endured mixed emotions, becoming the first player to score twice and concede a penalty in a Premier League match since Grant Holt for Norwich City against Swansea City in February 2012.

“I am devastated, it’s annoying when you score two and mentally I turned off for a minute, and I know I can’t lift my hand like this around the box,” the American said, in contrast to Farke’s opinion.

“It’s football at the end of the day. I am mad at myself, but I think we could have done better defending on a couple of occasions.

“To come here and go up three times in a row and almost tie and almost win the game shows how good this team is and we need to keep going from here.”