West Ham vs Arsenal VAR fallout as new referee verdict given and ‘so wrong’ claim made

Need to know

West Ham were denied a late equaliser against Arsenal after David Raya was adjudged to have been fouled in the build-up

Everything you need to know about the Arsenal VAR drama

1. What happened: With Arsenal’s leading 1-0, Callum Wilson looked to have equalised when his fierce strike squeezed over the line. However, a VAR review ensued after the Gunners claimed David Raya had been fouled in the build-up by Pablo.
2. Referee decision: After going to his monitor, Chris Kavanagh confirmed the goal would be disallowed. He announced to the crowd: “After review, No.19 commits a foul on the goalkeeper. Final decision is a direct free kick.”
3. What the law says: According to the FA’s Law 12: Fouls and Misconduct, a direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences against an opponent in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force: Charges, jumps at, kicks or attempts to kick, pushes, strikes or attempts to strike (including head-butt), tackles or challenges, trips or attempts to trip, holds an opponent, impedes an opponent with contact, bites or spits at someone on the team lists or a match official, throws an object at the ball, opponent or match official, or makes contact with the ball with a held object.
4. What West Ham head coach Nuno Espirito Santo said: “They have to solve it. They have to come to the clubs and explain and show why sometimes it is, sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it’s a goal, sometimes not a goal. Everybody feels confused. Today we are upset, we are sad. It’s the lack of consistency with the decisions. These previous recent seasons have been having a lot of blocking, grappling, holding. Almost like a wrestling situation that all of us don’t even understand what is a foul, what is not a foul. I think even the referees confuse themselves. I have the same view of everybody. Sometimes I think it is, sometimes I think not because then you look at every corner in the Premier League. What’s happening? It’s something like this. Not only today but in all the pitches. Everybody, us included, are trying. But what is the barrier, what is the frontier of what is a foul and what is not a foul? It is tough.”
5. What Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta said: “It’s very brave but very consistent with what they’ve been talking about all season. When I have to be critical I have been. Today I have to praise them at least for giving the option for the referee to decide away from the lights and the chaos, to give clarity for him to make the right call. When you look at the action in that way, it is an obvious error. The goal has to be disallowed.”
6. Ex-referee’s opinion: Speaking on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, Dermot Gallagher said: “Between the officials, they came to the right decision. When you watch it, there is so much going on and to look at and what happens is you have to go in chronological order. If you look at it, Pablo puts his arm across Raya, he holds him, there is no doubt about that. Behind that, Declan Rice is engaged with [Konstantinos] Mavropanos, is that a penalty? Well, if you look at it in that order, definitely Pablo goes first, his arm is across Raya and at that point, Rice is reaching, he does get hold of him, there is no doubt about that. And if there is not a foul on the goalkeeper, that is definitely a penalty as Mavropanos is running towards the ball. But the first foul is definitely by Pablo.”
7. Pundit reaction: Former Man City and Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel was adamant the goal should have stood. He told ViaPlay: “What really makes me angry is that Arsenal would never be top of the league if that’s a free kick. That’s how they have scored so many goals – by blocking people, holding people – doing all kinds of things. And then we get to this point, it takes VAR five minutes and he [Darren England] starts it over again. That in itself puts so much doubt into that decision. It cannot be a free kick. It cannot. It is so wrong. I just don’t understand why all of a sudden that’s a free kick because it’s not been for any teams all the way throughout the season. All this is just crazy. That decision today… It’s just so wrong on so many levels.”
8. What this means: Arsenal’s win means they remain five points clear of City in the Premier League. Pep Guardiola’s side face Crystal Palace on Wednesday night and, if they win, will move two points behind the Gunners.
9. READ MORE: Man City rocked by Arsenal VAR decision as Premier League title race takes huge twist

Follow men: