A new angle of the West Ham VAR controversy totally changes how we see the incident
A new angle of West Ham’s disallowed goal against Arsenal has come to light, sparking anger among Hammers fans – and they might have a point.
Arsenal took a big step towards Premier League glory with a 1–0 win over West Ham at the London Stadium on Sunday (May 10), but the game wasn’t without controversy.
The Gunners looked set for a crucial win after Leandro Trossard scored in the 83rd minute. However, West Ham thought they had equalised in stoppage time when Callum Wilson scored.
Despite the celebration in the stadium, the goal was ruled out for a foul on goalkeeper David Raya after a long VAR review. Referee Chris Kavanagh checked the monitor before deciding in Arsenal’s favor, keeping the score 1-0 and letting Arsenal keep their five-point lead at the top of the table.
West Ham, meanwhile, stayed in the relegation zone, one point behind Spurs, who face Leeds on Monday, with just two games left.
Since the incident, fans, experts, and coaches have shared their opinions. West Ham manager Nuno Espírito Santo said referees seem confused, and the club plans to formally complain to the PGMOL.
He said, “There’s a referee and VAR, but similar situations have been judged differently before. Even refs don’t know what’s a foul and what’s not. It causes so much doubt.
“Every corner in the Premier League seems to have something like this happening, not just today but all season.
“There’s a lack of consistency. Players are confused and frustrated. It’s upsetting. The refs need to sort it out, but right now, they’re confusing themselves.”
A new angle shared on social media showed West Ham fans pointing out that Pablo and Konstantinos Mavropanos were being “manhandled” by Arsenal defenders, while Jean-Clair Todibo was held by Martin Ødegaard.
One fan said, “Rice drags Mavropanos into the goal after trying to bear-hug Summerville.”
Another added, “As a Spurs fan, I get why West Ham are furious. It doesn’t surprise me that it was disallowed, but the inconsistency is what’s shocking. It isn’t about if it was or wasn’t a foul, it’s that these calls haven’t been consistent all year.”
A third said, “As a neutral, I saw at least four Arsenal players fouling West Ham opponents – three not even looking at the ball. Normally, those would be free kicks, so that should have been a penalty for West Ham. It’s time to stop the holding like it’s American football.”
West Ham play away at Newcastle on May 17, and Arsenal host Burnley on May 18.