{"id":9883,"date":"2026-05-18T02:43:35","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T02:43:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=9883"},"modified":"2026-05-18T02:43:35","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T02:43:35","slug":"sky-sports-pundit-reacts-to-el-hadji-malick-diouf-controversy-in-west-ham-loss-vs-newcastle-united","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=9883","title":{"rendered":"Sky Sports pundit reacts to El Hadji Malick Diouf controversy in West Ham loss vs Newcastle United"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Nuno Espirito Santo handed El Hadji Malick Diouf a start as West Ham took on Newcastle United at St. James\u2019 Park.<\/strong><\/p>\n

West Ham lost 3-1 to Newcastle on Sunday, and now need a miracle to avoid relegation from the Premier League.<\/p>\n

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One point from two games for Tottenham would now be enough for them to secure 17th place and send the Hammers down.<\/p>\n

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Which West Ham player was the most infuriating against Newcastle United?<\/h3>\n

The Hammers were shambolic at St. James’ Park\u2026<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Michael Bridges believes West Ham did not deserve penalty for El Hadji Malick Diouf incident<\/h2>\n

In the second half, El Hadji Malick Diouf found himself in a threatening position inside the opposition penalty area.<\/p>\n

He did feel some contact and threw himself to the floor looking for a penalty, but the on-field referee, Jarred Gillett, waved off any protests from the Hammers players.<\/p>\n

Michael Bridges, a Sky Sports pundit, who was on commentary for the Premier League world feed, also agreed with his decision.<\/p>\n

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That couldn\u2019t have gone much worse! Can you explain what went wrong? \ud83d\ude1e<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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While he did admit there was contact as there were players surrounding the West Ham defender, it clearly was not enough to give a penalty.<\/p>\n

The VAR looked at the incident from multiple angles but agreed with the referee\u2019s decision pretty quickly, and play was allowed to continue.<\/p>\n

Bridges said: \u201cThere was definitely contact inside the penalty area, but not enough for a penalty. Right decision there.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Where do West Ham go from here?<\/h2>\n

The Hammers know that they need at least a point from this game to go into the final day of the season with some optimism.<\/p>\n

Now, they will need Chelsea to beat Tottenham and hope that they can pick up the three points against Leeds United on the final day.<\/p>\n

Spurs take on Everton in their last game, so they will have another chance to avoid relegation if they cannot get the job done against Chelsea.<\/p>\n

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We are all but relegated \u2014 how would you feel about keeping Nuno in the Championship? \ud83e\uddd1\u200d\ud83d\udcbc<\/h3>\n

Or was that performance the last straw? \ud83d\ude21<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Many at West Ham will be planning for life in the Championship, and there could be a number of first-team players who leave.<\/p>\n

Nuno also may not be at the London Stadium, and there could also be new owners before the 2026\/27 campaign begins.<\/p>\n

Fans have every right to fear for the worst, as there is just so much uncertainty surrounding the team. <\/p>\n

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