david raya foul
NBC Sports
The Premier League is in a genuine state of conspiratorial crisis as title-chasing Arsenal Football Club were handed a controversial VAR decision that was in direct contrast with the type of goals they’ve been scoring all season.
VAR (video assistant referee) wiped away West Ham’s game-tying goal for a foul on keeper David Raya in extra time of the match between Arsenal and the Irons on Sunday.
Premier League fans are raging over Arsenal being awarded a foul on their keeper despite pulling that very move on other teams all season
The issue, though, is that Arsenal have made their bones on this exact sort of play for a sustained period of about 18 months and have not had any of their goals called back. When it was done against them, however, the refs intervened.
This angle…WOW
PABLO IS BEING MANHANDLED BY TWO ARSENAL PLAYERS AND LITERALLY LOSES BALANCE BECAUSE OF THIS
RICE DRAGS MAVROPANOS INTO THE GOAL AFTER TRYING TO BEAR HUG SUMMERVILLE
TODIBO IS RECEIVING WAIST LOVE
IT’S AN ABSOLUTE FARCE I WONT GET OVER pic.twitter.com/cfbTPrmx2p
— Central (@WestHam_Central) May 11, 2026
Soccer fans on social media have pulled numerous instances of Arsenal getting away with the foul they were shielded from on Sunday against West Ham.
pic.twitter.com/PBsZK2fa73
— Central (@WestHam_Central) May 10, 2026
A soccer fan on social media put together a 40-second compilation video of Arsenal pulling the very sort of keeper abuse that they were complaining about and ultimately rescued from by VAR.
Here’s a 40 mins vid of Arsenal doing the same thing pic.twitter.com/qiiyWIfLWS https://t.co/GMiA8JmCPX
— dolo (@amjushere) May 10, 2026
Some examples of Arsenal players holding/blocking goal keepers!!
Rules changed on the day for Arsenal@FA_PGMOL pic.twitter.com/cujYXaoaze
— 𝗔𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗼 (@Amad16FC) May 11, 2026
Not only did the decision potentially hand Arsenal the Premier League title, but it also may have doomed West Ham to be relegated, making it perhaps the most consequential decision in the history of VAR in the Premier League.
Making the referee’s decision even more eye-opening is the fact that Arsenal are the ONLY team in the Premier League not to have received a red card or a penalty kick given against them throughout the entire season despite notoriously being one of the most physical teams in the league.
As a result of the 1-0 win over West Ham, Arsenal maintained a five-point lead over Manchester City (who have played one less game) as the 2025/26 Premier League season enters its final two match weeks.