Cates tells Shearer ‘don’t have a go at me’ in awkward live BBC moment | Football | Sport

Kelly Cates jokingly hit back at Alan Shearer and told him: “Don’t have a go at me,” as the BBC Sport pundit lambasted the referee and lack of VAR during Aston Villa’s FA Cup clash with Newcastle United. With his former club behind at half-time due to a goal from Tammy Abraham, which would have likely been ruled out if VAR was in play at Villa Park, a panel of Shearer, Cates, Wayne Rooney and Dion Dublin analysed a rash challenge from Lucas Digne, which also could have resulted in a red card after a review.

The Villa full-back took none of the ball and all of Jacob Murphy as he flew into a challenge at pace, his lead leg high while doing so. While the Frenchman was booked by Chris Kavanagh for the foul, Shearer believed that he was very lucky not to see red. He said: “I think it’s a red card. He’s endangering his opponent, there’s no doubt about that.

“He’s high, he’s late and it’s a very, very dangerous tackle. I think he’s lucky to get away with it. He’s about what, four yards from the assistant referee on that right-hand side and the referee deems it a yellow card but it’s very high and I think he’s lucky. He catches him high. It’s dangerous.”

After Dublin and Rooney agreed with Shearer’s assessment, the former Newcastle striker was asked by Cates if officials had finally found a game which would turn him in favour of VAR. To which, he replied: “No, I would just like to do the officials to do their job properly, that’s all. That’s not too much to ask is it?”

However, Cates awkwardly replied: “Don’t have a go at me. I was just asking the question,” leaving the room in stitches.

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It comes after a refereeing error leading to Villa’s opening goal was lambasted by commentator Danny Murphy. Abraham put Unai Emery’s side in front 14 minutes into the fixture after a clever free-kick routine, despite looking a yard offside in the process.

However, with no VAR being used at this stage of the FA Cup, the goal was allowed to stand, with Murphy quick to give his take. He said: “So creative, you just think [Morgan] Rogers is going to step up, but he’s trying to deceive them. I think he’s going to be offside. Should have been offside. No VAR, sorry, good point.

“We’ll get back to that in a minute but what a pass from Douglas Luiz. It’s a great run and it’s a great training-ground free-kick they’ve obviously worked on. It was such a clever, little pass. Looking on the replay, he looks a yard off for me. They’ll feel hard done-by Newcastle when they see it back I think.”

Elsewhere, Newcastle United were denied a penalty in the second-half of play despite the ball hitting the hand of Digne inside his own box. While Kavanagh did concede that a foul had taken place, he believed it was committed outside of the area.

In a game jam-packed with controvery, Marco Bizot was also sent off in the first-half for charging out of his box and taking down Murphy as United were on the break, with Leon Bailey making way for Emiliano Martinez so the Villans had an actual goalkeeper on the pitch.

Despite taking the lead early doors, Villa ultimately suffered a 3-1 loss to the Magpies on home turf, with a second-half resurgence from the visitors proving too hot to handle. Sandro Tonali levelled matters 63 minutes into play, before bagging his brace 13 minutes later. Nick Woltemade then sealed the deal for Newcastle in the game’s final moments.

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