The debate surrounding West Ham's disallowed goal against Arsenal hasn’t quietened since the final whistle at the London Stadium.
Arsenal held on thanks to a late VAR check to win the match 1-0, leaving games against Burnley and Crystal Palace to win, which will ensure the Premier League trophy heads back to north London for the first time in two decades.
A former top-flight referee has weighed in on the decision, and he believes Chris Kavanagh and VAR official Darren England got it right, and he’s explained exactly why.
Callum Wilson appeared to have snatched a dramatic equaliser at the death for the Hammers, with goal-line technology confirming the ball had crossed the line. But after a check lasting over two and a half minutes, during which referee Kavanagh studied the video footage 17 times, the goal was ruled out. West Ham forward Pablo was judged to have fouled David Raya, and the title race had been turned on its head once more.
Retired Referee Explains The Decision to Disallow West Ham’s Goal
Arsenal vs West Ham
Mark Halsey spent 12 years refereeing in the Premier League and was speaking to SunSport, explaining why he felt the correct call had been made.
"We’ve had a massive problem this season – and inconsistencies – from the officials when we’re seeing holding and grappling offences in the penalty area.”
Halsey went on to say, “Something has to happen, we’ve got to stop this. We all know in those situations when a goal is scored that it will be checked as per the protocol. Now in this instance, West Ham have thrown the kitchen sink, they’re trying to get an equaliser, and when that ball comes across from the corner, everything’s going on in that penalty area. There’s about ten, 11, 12 fouls."
Halsey was clear that, despite it being utter chaos in the penalty area, the officials were right to focus on the most blatant infringements. Pointing out how obvious Pablo’s foul was, and at the same time, bringing a second offence to light as well.
"But you look at it and you penalise the ones that stick out. When you look at it, you can clearly see that Pablo has impeded David Raya. You can clearly see that. Not only that, you can see that Jean-Clair Todibo has got hold of Raya's shirt so he's pulling it down.”
Halsey highlighted just how difficult it would have been for Kavanagh to see all of that in real time, insisting that’s what VAR is there for, whilst acknowledging the immense pressure both Kavanagh and England must have been under, before doubling down on his earlier comments about clamping down on players grappling with each other in the penalty area.
The Impact on Both Arsenal and West Ham
Premier League referees
For West Ham, the decision leaves them a point adrift of safety with precious little time remaining. They have a trip to St James’ Park to face Newcastle, before finishing the season at home to Leeds United. Even if they’re to win both matches, they’ll need to rely on Tottenham dropping points in their final three fixtures.
For Arsenal, it keeps the title firmly in their own hands. They sit five points clear of Manchester City, who slipped up last week when they drew 3-3 away to Everton. Should they win the Premier League, the Gunners will have the chance to win a historic double. They will face PSG on the 30th of May in the Champions League final, a tournament Arsenal have never won.