"He doesn't make any attempt to play the ball" – Shay Given claims Chelsea star was lucky to get away with 'nasty' challenge in Newcastle draw

Shay Given believes that Alejandro Garnacho was fortunate not to receive a red card for his challenge on Jacob Ramsey during Chelsea's 2-2 draw against Newcastle United on Saturday, December 20. The former Newcastle goalkeeper claimed that VAR should have intervened following the Argentine forward's tackle in the first half.

While speaking on the BBC's Match of the Day, Given said that a lot of the decisions that match referee Andy Madley took were difficult. However, the former Irish goalkeeper wasn't happy with the referee's choices. He said (via Metro):

"I understand Eddie Howe's frustrations because some of the decisions I actually disagreed with myself. There was a few decisions the referee had to make and they weren't easy, don't get me wrong." "The first one came in the first half and I thought it was a really nasty challenge from Alejandro Garnacho. If you watch it slowly, he doesn't make any attempt to play the ball; he goes over the top and clearly catches him really high up. VAR didn't intervene but I think that's a really dangerous tackle from Garnacho and one he gets away with," he added.

Shai Given was also unhappy with the referee's decision not to award a penalty to the Magpies when Trevoh Chalobah appeared to push Anthony Gordon in the penalty area.

Facing Chelsea at St. James' Park, Nick Woltemade helped Newcastle United take an early lead by scoring in the fourth minute. He completed his brace in the 20th minute, courtesy of Anthony Gordon's assist.

After a dominant first half, Eddie Howe's side conceded in the 49th minute, scored by Reece James via a 25-yard free kick. Joao Pedro equalled the score in the 66th minute, thanks to an assist by Robert Sanchez.

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Barcelona join Chelsea in the race to sign 18-year-old forward: Reports

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes (via Barca Universal), Barcelona have joined Chelsea in the race to sign River Plate forward Ian Subiabre. The 18-year-old made his debut for River Plate in 2024, and has since made 22 appearances for the senior team, scoring two goals and providing one assist.

However, Subiabre's future at River Plate is uncertain as talks over a potential contract extension have also reached a dead end. According to the aforementioned report, the 18-year-old has been approached by European clubs, while his relationship with River Plate is also strained.

Chelsea have invested in young players such as Estevao Willian, Joao Pedro and more in the last few years. Again, they aim to sign a young player before his value increases significantly in the transfer market. Meanwhile, Barcelona see Subiabre as a part of their long-term plans.

Edited by Sankalp Srivastava