- Football fans have taken to social media to slam referee Chris Kavanagh for failing to send off Joelinton during the heated clash against Spurs
- Many believe Kavanagh’s decisions were biased against Mohammed Kudus in what turned out to be a tense Newcastle vs. Spurs encounter
- Despite the drama, Newcastle United held their nerve to claim a 2-0 win and progress in the 2025/26 Carabao Cup
In the 86th minute of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie between Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, tempers flared as Mohammed Kudus became entangled in a heated confrontation with Joelinton.
The Ghanaian winger had just won a foul when Joelinton appeared to play aggressively, prompting Kudus to push him off his body.
Source: Getty Images
The incident escalated when an image circulated online showing Joelinton with his hand on Kudus’ throat, sparking outrage among football fans across social media. Many argued that the Spurs winger was clearly the victim of rough play, yet referee Chris Kavanagh issued yellow cards to both players, as featured by Wikipedia.
Despite the Joelinton-Mohammed Kudus brawl, Newcastle United proceeded to secure a commanding 2-0 victory to eliminate Thomas Frank‘s side from the 2025/26 Carabao Cup, as noted by The Standard.
Source: Getty Images
Fans react to Joelinton-Kudus clash
Meanwhile, the decision to punish both players drew widespread criticism. On Twitter, fans commented as follows:
“Not even surprised. I think if Joelinton were to stab a player on the pitch, he’d still only get a yellow,” – @TJB
“Joelinton should have walked for that and I’m a Newcastle fan. Fkn stupidity. VAR surely would’ve seen that as a yellow for the tackle and another for the afters,” – @Scott.D
“If it’s a yellow for Kudus, it has to be two yellows for Joelinton — one for the tackle and one for the afters. Game was already over, but nice to see Joelinton had time to get his mandatory under-punished thuggery,” – @BryanW
“Never seen a more obvious red than what Joelinton just did. It should honestly be a 10-game ban. Not even the slightest thought of going for the ball — just flying in with his studs one foot above the ground,” – @ScapesTH
“Second red card challenge on Kudus in two games gone incorrectly punished. It’ll take a leg break or what Guehi did to Kulusevski to end them. Only way to stop him is to do this,” – @MarkGrogan
“What I will never understand — the tackle itself was a yellow, then surely the reaction is a yellow, or clearly must be since Kudus got one. So how he stayed on the field is beyond me. What are the rules?” – @Sarrman
“Joelinton is the nastiest, dirtiest player who genuinely should’ve been sent off multiple times in his career. But because it’s the beloved Newcastle and Eddie Howe and English passion yada yada, he gets away with murder every game,” – @Adrisa
Kudus headlines Tottenham’s best players
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported on Tottenham Hotspur’s best players of the 2025/26 Premier League season under Thomas Frank.
The list included Richarlison and former West Ham star Mohammed Kudus as the 2025 Europa League champions recorded some impressive results at the start of the new campaign.
Source: YEN.com.gh
Source: Yen.com.gh
