Way too soft’ – Reece James hits back at Newcastle penalty claims after late tangle with Harvey Banes in pulsating Chelsea clash

Late controversy took centre stage at St James’ Park as Newcastle United were denied a stoppage-time penalty in their dramatic 2-2 draw with Chelsea. Harvey Barnes went to ground under pressure from Reece James in the closing moments, but VAR opted not to intervene, sparking angry protests from the home crowd. James later insisted the contact was nowhere near enough to warrant a spot-kick.

Drama unfolds on Tyneside

Newcastle looked firmly in control after racing into a two-goal advantage before the interval. Nick Woltemade opened the scoring in the fourth minute, reacting quickest after Anthony Gordon’s effort was parried. The forward struck again 16 minutes later, turning Gordon’s delivery into the net to put the Magpies in command at half-time.

Chelsea responded strongly after the restart. Their comeback was ignited by James, who curled a superb free-kick past Aaron Ramsdale four minutes into the second half. The visitors were level in the 66th minute when Joao Pedro shrugged off Malick Thiaw, collected a long clearance from Robert Sanchez and finished calmly into the bottom corner.

Both sides pushed for a winner late on, but the biggest moment came in stoppage time when Newcastle’s penalty appeals for a challenge on Barnes were dismissed following a VAR review, drawing loud boos from the stands.

James defends VAR call

Speaking to TNT Sports, James played down the incident involving Barnes.
“If that gets given, then I’m not sure,” he said. “I touch him, but I don’t pull him. It’s too soft — far too soft for a penalty.”

Reflecting on the result, the Chelsea captain added: “It’s a long season and we have to keep building week by week. We lost here last season and it’s always a tough place to come, so given the first half, we’re happy to come away with a point.”

Captain praises Chelsea response

James also revealed how Enzo Maresca’s half-time message helped turn the game around.
“It was definitely a game of two halves,” he said. “They were better than us in almost every area in the first half. We had to make adjustments and come out with more intensity, and we did that.”

He added that Chelsea tightened up on second balls after the break, which proved crucial.

On his free-kick that sparked the comeback, James said: “To produce something like that when we needed it felt great. This stadium can overwhelm teams, but once we scored, the atmosphere changed. We knew if we got one, another chance would come. When you can’t win, it’s important not to lose — and that goal changed everything.”

If you’d like, I can also rewrite this in a shorter match report, tabloid style, or Newcastle- or Chelsea-biased angle