Enzo Maresca's furious Nicolas Jackson reaction as Eddie Howe offers red card verdict

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe backed the decision to send Nicolas Jackson off as the Magpies beat Champions League-chasing rivals Chelsea at St James' Park, while Blues boss Enzo Maresca expressed his frustration at a moment of madness from his striker.

Jackson was sent for an early bath in the 35th minute after sending an elbow into the head of Sven Botman. VAR official Darren England sent on-field referee John Brooks to the monitor for a second look at the decision, with Jackson's initial booking being upgraded to a straight red upon closer inspection.

Maresca's fury was clear as Jackson trundled towards the tunnel, with the Chelsea boss refusing to even look at the Senegalese striker. "It’s already difficult 11 v 11 in this stadium, against this team. Playing one hour with 10 players has not been easy," he told reporters at full-time.

"The only thing I can say is that sometimes it’s too easy to take some decision in some stadiums. If the referee decides for red it’s a red. Some times in this stadium you have the feeling that some decisions are from the noise. Again, if the referee decides it’s a red card, it’s a red card."

Howe's men failed to make their advantage count and struggled to control the game in the second-half, setting up a nervy end to the tie before Bruno Guimaraes' late strike put an end to any stress. Quizzed for his reaction on the incident, the Newcastle chief revealed his instant feeling was that Jackson should indeed be sent off.

"Yeah, initially my gut reaction was that it's a sending off," Howe told reporters. "I can see that Jackson wasn't looking at the ball, he was looking at the man.

"I think that always puts you in a vulnerable position, especially if you make contact with your elbow like you did. I've just seen it when I was being interviewed on the TV there and for me my opinion hasn't changed."