Carlos Carvalhal insisted his Swansea City side were denied a penalty and a red card for Newcastle United due to a lack of video technology.
The Swans manager believes Saturday’s 1-1 draw at St, James’ Park might have yielded a different outcome – and two more crucial points towards Premier League survival – if a video assistant referee system had been in place.
The result leaves the club still bottom of the table and four points from the safety mark with 15 games remaining.
Carvalhal was aggrieved not to have left with all three points having seen Mohamed Diame block Mike van der Hoorn’s goal-bound effort with his arm before the break.
Carvalhal said: “I can’t say that is a penalty because of the place I was. I must be honest, I didn’t see it – I said to the referee I didn’t see it – but with the technology that we have at the moment, after one minute my assistant said it was a clear penalty and a red card.
“I am absolutely sure that would have been a red card and a penalty, absolutely sure. In 10 seconds, the video referee would give a communication saying, ‘Stop, penalty and red card’, I am absolutely sure.”
The Swans had survived something of a mauling up until that point with the Magpies failing to make the most of a series of promising opportunities, and it was the visitors who took the lead with 61 minutes gone when Jordan Ayew headed past keeper Karl Darlow at the second time of asking.
However, the lead lasted just seven minutes before Joselu fired the home side level, sparking a late flurry during which Swans substitute Wilfried Bony saw a shot hacked off the line by defender DeAndre Yedlin.
Carvalhal said: “After the game, I don’t know if we have achieved one point or lost two, really, especially when I arrive in the dressing room and my players are really upset because there was the feeling that we could win this game.”
Opposite number Rafa Benitez also assessed an eventful 90 minutes with mixed emotions, bemoaning his side’s profligacy in front of goal but praising their resilience as their run without a home league win stretched to seven games.
Benitez said: “I liked the team in the first half, the chances we created, and I’m disappointed because we didn’t take the chances.
“I obviously didn’t like conceding the goal in the way we conceded the goal, but I was quite happy with the reaction of the team.
“It was very positive, the intensity that we were playing with, the determination trying to score and trying to win the game.
“I didn’t like the last five minutes when we were making some wrong decisions and giving them the chance to play on the counter-attack.”
Former Swans midfielder Jonjo Shelvey – not for the first time – created something of a stir when he declined to shake the manager’s hand when he was replaced by Mikel Merino, although Benitez was unconcerned.
He said: “Any player when you are not winning a game like this one, so important, I think they have to be disappointed if they don’t continue playing. But we have to make the substitutions and that’s it.
“I didn’t have any problem with it.”