Fans quickly spot the link between experts grumbling about Arsenal’s VAR decision.
Premier League fans think some pundits are focusing on the wrong things when talking about the controversial call that canceled West Ham’s late equaliser against Arsenal on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta’s team took all three points, moving five points ahead of Manchester City, with just two Premier League games left against Burnley and Crystal Palace.
Leandro Trossard scored in the 83rd minute, which was enough to win the match, even though West Ham pushed hard at the end.
West Ham believed Callum Wilson had scored in stoppage time to earn a point, but the goal was ruled out for a foul on Arsenal’s goalkeeper David Raya. VAR official Darren England suggested referee Chris Kavanagh check the video before giving the foul decision, which frustrated West Ham’s players, manager Nuno Espírito Santo, and some pundits.
Many praised referee Kavanagh for handling a tough situation well, but former Premier League goalkeepers Shay Given and Peter Schmeichel had different views, pointing to past decisions that seemed to favor Arsenal.
On Match of the Day 2, Given said, “What bugs me is that we’ve seen Arsenal keep goals that had defenders or goalkeepers blocked off. People are fed up with the inconsistent refereeing. Why are some goals allowed but this one isn’t? There’s so much at stake all over the league. Also, players like Gabriel, Ødegaard, and Trossard were holding before the foul on Raya even happened. Why pick that one foul and not the earlier ones?”
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy said, “The fuss about West Ham’s goal being disallowed is because it’s Arsenal. We can’t blame past decisions here. VAR officials must call what they see, and this was clearly a foul. Just because it’s Arsenal doesn’t mean the decision should be twisted.”
Ex-England keeper Robert Green told BBC Radio 5 Live, “It’s a foul. Two players fouled the goalkeeper. There have been many of these calls this season, with lots of talks about inconsistencies. This one matters a lot. It feels like VAR’s been focused on this kind of issue, especially with Arsenal’s set pieces. There were several fouls at the same time, but it’s about where the ball ended up. Still, the inconsistency is frustrating.”
On The Wayne Rooney Show, Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney said, “It’s a clear foul. People will have different opinions, and fans of Manchester City or Tottenham might disagree. But the arm clearly hits the goalkeeper’s face and stops him reaching the ball, so I think it was the right call. This is one time VAR got it right in an important game.”
Former Manchester United keeper Peter Schmeichel shared thoughts similar to Given’s, telling Viaplay, “What annoys me is that Arsenal wouldn’t be top if that was a free-kick. They’ve scored many goals by blocking or holding opponents. VAR took five minutes on this, rechecking again and again, which makes the decision doubtful. It’s so wrong because it hasn’t been called like this all season. It’s just crazy.”
On his podcast, Gary Neville added, “At first, I thought the ball might have crossed the line, but Declan Rice was far behind. The VAR check for a foul on the keeper was huge for Premier League VAR history. Many don’t like VAR, and maybe rightly so, but here it helped get the right call in a crucial moment. Darren England was calm and clear, checking everything carefully. Rice had a little foul behind after the main one. Pablo’s arm blocked the keeper without trying to play the ball, which has to be called. So, the decision was right, and Arsenal fans breathed a huge sigh of relief.”
Roy Keane said, “When you jump up, VAR will check everything – don’t touch the goalkeeper! West Ham made a silly mistake by making such an obvious foul, and the referee had to check it.”
Fans also shared their opinions on social media about the VAR call and pundits’ comments, especially targeting Given and Schmeichel. One fan said, “Of all the angry pundits, Shay Given was the worst. He calmly explained the decision but kept blaming Arsenal.” Another added, “Shay Given is salty because he’s a former City player.” Others called Given “broken” or said he had “let himself down.” Another fan dismissed Schmeichel’s opinion, saying he has no credibility and is biased because of his United past.
West Ham will play next away at Newcastle on 17 May, and Arsenal will host Burnley on 18 May.