VAR controversially disallowed a Callum Wilson goal in stoppage time against Arsenal and the West Ham striker has had his say on the incident as the fallout continues
13:06, 13 May 2026
Callum Wilson scores a disallowed goal for West Ham
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Callum Wilson thought he had scored an equaliser for West Ham United against Arsenal(Image: Getty Images)
Callum Wilson has insisted referee Chris Kavanagh should have allowed his goal against Arsenal to stand before VAR stepped in, with the striker maintaining "if there's consistency then there's no complaints" as the fallout continues.
The West Ham forward believed he had netted a stoppage-time equaliser against the Gunners, which would have bolstered the Hammers' survival hopes and altered the complexion of the title race. The goal was initially awarded before a protracted VAR review ultimately disallowed it for a foul on David Raya.
Fierce debate has ensued since the incident, with opinion firmly divided. Many have deemed it a clear foul while others maintain such situations arise at every corner on a weekly basis - with Arsenal widely regarded as pioneers when it comes to benefitting from the more physical approach.
PGMOL chief Howard Webb came forward to justify why the foul was correctly awarded, but Wilson, who acknowledged his own bias, felt there was an absence of consistency and pointed to the number of infringements occurring from the same corner.
He told Sky Sports: "For me it's against us, are you saying it's a foul? Possibly. But of course, there's incidents that have happened throughout the season that are similar.
"I just think if there's consistency then there's no complaints from anybody and I think with that specific incident five seconds before it there's obviously other fouls that are in there. So, if you're going to pull up one you're going to have to pull up all of them. I think he probably should have just let it see itself out and think it's just handbags in the box and it is what it is. But it wasn't to be."
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya is adjudged to have been fouled shortly before Callum Wilson equalises for West Ham
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Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya was adjudged to have been fouled shortly before Callum Wilson equalised for West Ham United(Image: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Wilson added: "I'm going to say yes (it should've stood) because I scored the goal for one. But for two, we see a lot of teams nowadays doing a similar situation in the box blocking goalkeepers.
"We analysed Arsenal's set-pieces before the match and there was a lot of that going on in there. That's not just to say they do it, everybody does it."
Wilson highlighted a potential foul by Leandro Trossard while Declan Rice was also holding Konstantinos Mavropanos just behind Raya. The monumental incident has positioned Arsenal favourably to secure the championship - their first for 22 years - ahead of Manchester City.
The complete transcript between referee Chris Kavanagh and the VAR officials in Stockley Park has now been made public, with the assistants advising for the incident to be rechecked and ultimately ruled out.
Following the incident, Webb has indicated that further examination will take place regarding whether additional measures are required concerning fouls during set pieces. He said: "This season's been a little bit more unique than previous ones about the number of contacts in the penalty area, and it does create a challenge for the officials.
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"We'll certainly continue consulting with all of the people I mentioned earlier about the type of game they want to see, because we have seen more involvement from set-piece coaches bringing players together in these areas, looking for those marginal gains."