by Staff Writer
Wednesday, 13th May 2026
PGMOL have released the full transcript from the conversation that took place between referee Chris Kavanagh and the VAR team during Sunday's Premier League meeting between West Ham United and Arsenal.
The match officials, which included VAR lead Darren England plus his assistant Akil Howson have been widely criticised following their decision to disallow Callum Wilson's injury time equaliser.
And if the release of the conversation by PGMOL and the Premier League was meant to placate angry supporters, if anything it has had the opposite effect.
During the conversation, which took place after Kavanagh had been directed to check the pitch side monitors for evidence of an infringement, England can be heard informing Kavanagh of a foul by Pablo on Arsenal 'keeper David Raya.
However Howson's plea for the referee to examine the foul by Trossard on Pablo is almost immediately rejected - even though that was the catalyst for the resulting infringement by Pablo, as you can see below...
Key: Referee (REF): Chris Kavanagh; Assistant Referee 1 (AR1): Dan Cook; VAR: Darren England; Assistant VAR (AVAR): Akil Howson; RO: Hawk-Eye replay operator
VAR: Possible foul on 'keeper.
VAR: Watch has gone.
AVAR: Goal given.
AR1: I don't see any foul on the goalkeeper.
REF: On-field decision is goal.
VAR: Checking the on-field decision of goal.
VAR: OK, let's play it through, let's play it through. Let's just get a feel now.
VAR: So, the keeper there…
VAR: Then it's just a shot. So, it's literally just a possible foul on Raya, what I'm seeing in terms of that.
AVAR: Yeah, and to make sure he doesn't have it in his hand.
VAR: OK, let's get a tighter angle on the goalkeeper please.
VAR: On the Arsenal goalkeeper.
RO: Yeah.
VAR: This one. Slow it down, frame by frame.
VAR: For me, there is a foul. Potential foul with the arm.
VAR: His hand is holding his arm down. That's impactful, for me.
VAR: The left arm there, is holding, is across the body.
VAR: He's across the head and he's holding the left arm of Raya, there.
VAR: Which impedes his ability to get to the ball properly.
VAR: Doesn't look that impactful from that angle.
RO: I've got a pole-cam angle.
VAR: Give us pole-cam.
AVAR: It's like, Raya…
AVAR: Because that contact we've got there, we've got…
VAR: Just keep delaying. Just checking possible foul on the goalkeeper.
AVAR: You've got that straight behind him as well, look.
VAR: Yeah.
RO: I'll go back to the original angle.
VAR: Yeah.
VAR: But this happens before.
RO: Do you want to see it at full speed?
VAR: Yes please.
VAR: Is it impactful on the goalkeeper that, for me.
VAR: Go back to the second angle you showed me, the second angle.
RO: No problem, just going to look now.
AVAR: Can you do a split screen on both of them as well?
VAR: This one here, this one. Yeah, give us a split screen. That one and then the first angle.
RO: OK, goalline?
VAR: No, sorry, this one and this one, thank you.
AVAR: I don't like Trossard not facing the ball and you've got…
AVAR: I agree, it's impactful, it's just everything else that's going on as well.
AVAR: Let's say we're saying that's a foul, then what are we saying about Trossard's actions on the same player?
AVAR: What are we saying about Declan Rice behind?
VAR: Yeah.
VAR: He still gets a hand to the ball, doesn't he? When he's getting to the ball.
AVAR: What's your initial opinion as you watched it?
VAR: I think, for me, we send him for an on-field review to look at the possible foul on the goalkeeper.
VAR: And then we get him to look at the other incidents as well. I think that's the best decision in terms of this.
VAR: OK.
VAR: Chris (Chris Kavanagh - REF), I'm going to recommend an on-field review for a possible foul on the goalkeeper but there are some other incidents to look at while you're at the monitor as well.
REF: OK.
VAR: So, I'm going to show you a possible foul on the goalkeeper.
RO: This angle?
REF: OK.
VAR: The left arm of Pablo comes across Raya and holds on to the left arm of Raya as he goes to win the ball.
REF: Yeah.
VAR: I'm showing you that now.
REF: I can see the clear holding on him across.
VAR: Yeah, but then I'm just going to show you some, obviously, other angles on that incident, of players.
REF: OK.
AVAR: You've got Declan Rice and you've got Trossard.
REF: I don't know what you're trying to show me, give me a clue.
VAR: Trossard on Pablo. Just if you look at Trossard on Pablo. Give me a better angle on that.
VAR: I'll get you a better angle.
REF: I don't think there's much in that at all, I'm happy with that.
VAR: Yeah, OK.
REF: That's nothing.
VAR: And then if you just want to consider the actions of Declan Rice on Mavropanos at the back.
VAR: But the foul happens on the goalkeeper before.
REF: Before it, so… After review, West Ham number…
VAR: 19.
REF: 19. Foul.
REF: Just confirm his number again for me.
VAR: 19.
VAR: Yeah, confirmed.
REF: Mic open.
REF: After review, West Ham number 19 commits a foul on the goalkeeper. Final decision is direct free-kick.
Despite the resulting furore and evidence that the infringement on Raya was a consequence of Pablo being restrained himself by Trossard, referee chief Howard Webb close ranks and inexplicably defended the decision to rule out Wilson's strike.
"Is it a foul on the goalkeeper? Categorically yes," he said. "We’ve said all season, including in pre-season briefings with the players, that if a goalkeeper is impeded by an opponent grabbing or holding their arm and therefore they can’t do their job, they’ll be penalised.
"We’re not just talking about contact with goalkeepers, we’re talking about a specific type of contact when the goalkeeper’s arms or hands are being interfered with, stopping them doing their job."
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