Why West Ham’s Dramatic Equalizer Against Arsenal Was Controversially Ruled Out

Arsenal fans had their heads in their hands as referee Chris Kavanagh confirmed Callum Wilson’s 95th-minute strike had crossed the line.

After a scramble following a corner, Wilson lashed home a fierce strike which was comfortably over the line by the time it was deflected away, but a furious Mikel Arteta made it clear he did not think the goal should stand.

A lengthy VAR review was needed to reach a verdict on a decision that could easily be remembered as the defining moment of the season. Awarding a goal would have invited Manchester City back into the Premier League title race, while striking it out would leave Arsenal in control and also deal a hammerblow to West Ham’s survival hopes.

The final decision was made, chalking the goal off and letting Arsenal escape from London Stadium with a 1–0 victory.

Why West Ham’s Goal Was Ruled Out

Arteta, using some superhuman vision, was quick to gesture that goalkeeper David Raya had been impeded by West Ham striker Pablo.

Replays showed Pablo had his arm across the chest of Raya, who went to ground in dramatic fashion shortly after. The focus on the VAR review centered around questions as to whether Pablo had grabbed Raya’s arm and impacted the Arsenal stopper’s ability to claim the ball, which he had failed to deal with in the first place.

A pitchside review of the incident was recommended and the referee ultimately decided that Pablo had unfairly impacted Raya’s ability to claim the ball.

As a result, Arsenal were awarded a free kick, giving them a platform to see out a nervy victory.

The Controversy Behind the Decision

Fans on social media were stunningly quick to highlight a similar incident from all the way back in the first gameweek of the season.

Arsenal beat Manchester United 1–0 at Old Trafford with a header from Riccardo Calafiori 13 minutes into the game. Altay Bayındır, United’s starting goalkeeper on the day, immediately protested the goal and argued he had been impeded by William Saliba.

Footage of the incident appeared to show Saliba grabbing the arm of Bayındır, but no foul was given and Arsenal’s goal was granted.

Questions will be asked over the consistency of the decisions which, given the fine margins, appear set to have a direct impact on the outcome of the Premier League title race.

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