Manager Mikel Arteta praised the courage shown by match officials after denying West Ham a dramatic equalizer in Arsenal’s 1-0 win at the London Stadium.
Callum Wilson thought he had scored in the 95th minute for 18th-placed West Ham, but a lengthy VAR check ensued and replays showed Hammers striker Pablo had his arm over David Raya and the goalkeeper fumbled his first shot.
Referee Chris Kavanagh was then advised to check the on-field monitor before ultimately disallowing the goal. Two minutes and 35 seconds passed from the time the ball crossed the line until the referee was sent to review the incident.
Kavanaugh watched a total of 17 replays and overall took 4 minutes and 17 seconds to reach his decision.
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Ian Wright, Roy Keane and Jamie Redknapp analyze West Ham’s disallowed equalizer in stoppage time
The result maintained Arsenal’s narrow lead, leaving them five points behind leaders Manchester City with two games in hand, while West Ham missed out on a crucial point that would have seen them level on points with 17th-placed Tottenham.
“When I have to be critical, I have been,” Arteta told Sky Sports. “We have to congratulate them (VAR) today.
“It took a lot of courage and bravery to stand out and give the referee a chance to see the move.
“There’s no doubt that it was a clear foul when you look at the pictures. They were very brave.
“This action deserves it. In my opinion, it’s very clear. Those are the rules and we want consistency.”
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Highlights of the Premier League match between West Ham and Arsenal
Nuno: The referee doesn’t know what a foul is.
West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo was reluctant to comment on the matter, but questioned the notion that it was not clear what constituted a foul.
He told Sky Sports: “We are all upset because of the situation and the way it ended.
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West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo believes referees do not understand what is and is not a foul.
“Look, we have the referee, we have VAR, we have past situations where different decisions were made. Let’s not go beyond that.
“(Similar incidents) have been happening over the past few seasons. Even the referees don’t know what is a foul and what is not a foul, so there is a lot of doubt.”
“Let’s look at the whole game. We played a very good game. Arsenal are a tough team. We lost the game.”
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West Ham forward Callum Wilson was disallowed the equalizer after a lengthy VAR check showed he had fouled David Raya.
Bowen: If you look for five minutes, you’ll find something.
West Ham forward Jarrod Bowen said it was unfortunate for the team that the late equalizing goal was canceled out and that Raya “must expect contact” in such situations.
“We’re the ones on the receiving end, so we’re going to feel like we’ve been hit hard,” he said.
“Soccer is a sport that brings fun and brings big moments. I thought we had a big moment and got back in the game.
“Stare at something for five minutes, trying to find something.
“Goalkeepers are protected more than outfield players and there’s a lot of holding in the box. Are you going to look at that every time and give a penalty? That’s the right way.”
“You can’t wipe out the goalkeeper, but the keeper has come to get the ball and you have to expect contact. This is the Premier League so contact will happen.”
“Last week against Brentford we didn’t get a penalty because Tomas Soucek got caught at the back post. But like I said, I think if you look at something long enough you’ll find something to give.”
“I can assure you that the experts and the people who watch the game know that football is a physical game. If you’re going to do it, let’s do it every week. Where’s the line, where’s the bar?”
