Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva has admitted that Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya was fouled during the 1-0 Premier League triumph over West Ham United at the London Stadium.
The Gunners registered a third-straight league win with a slender 1-0 victory over the Hammers on the road. Leandro Trossard was the game-changer with an 83rd-minute winner for the club.
However, the London derby did not end without controversy. Calum Wilson thought he had scored the equaliser deep into stoppage time, but the goal was chalked off after a prolonged VAR review.
The slow-mo replays showed that Pablo Felipe had held onto Raya’s arm, which restricted him from getting hold of the ball. Jean-Clair Todibo also pulled the Spaniard’s shirt by his shoulder, but referee Chris Kavanagh at the time adjudged Pablo to have fouled Raya from a corner.
The decision has drawn mixed reactions from pundits and players, and when asked about the incident, Silva acknowledged that there was a foul on Raya before the Hammers found the back of the net.
However, the Portuguese playmaker acknowledged that VAR have been inconsistent during the campaign and such contact has been allowed at times. He told The Athletic: “I think it’s a foul. The only problem is the consistency of the referees.
“It’s not just this (the foul by Pablo on Raya). It’s everything that happens around, so in this picture, you see three or four fouls taking place. It’s a foul (on Raya), but it’s quite frustrating when they allow this type of contact at times during the season, and then they decide not to allow it in such a game.”
Arsenal were on the wrong end of several refereeing decisions during the 2024/25 campaign. There were some bizarre red cards handed out. The club have had the rub of the green this term.
Regardless of what others say, it was a foul on Raya on the day. Pablo and Todibo were both hampering Raya’s ability to retain possession, and the goal was rightly chalked off after a long review.
Silva may talk about refereeing inconsistency, but he is one of those who tends to get away with goalkeeper fouls from corners. If Man City were in the same situation as Arsenal against West Ham, the Portuguese would have just admitted the foul without speaking about previous instances.
The result last weekend means Arsenal are still two points ahead of Manchester City at the top of the league, with two more matches against Burnley and Crystal Palace. They host the Clarets on Monday night.
If the Gunners were to beat Burnley, it could put pressure on the Cityzens, who have a trickier challenge at Bournemouth, who are on a 16-match unbeaten league run. The title could well be decided before the final day.