West Ham United are set to contact the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) after their stoppage-time equaliser against Arsenal F.C. was ruled out following a lengthy VAR review.
The incident came in the 95th minute of Arsenal’s 1-0 win at the London Stadium when Callum Wilson appeared to score an equaliser. However, VAR official Darren England advised referee Chris Kavanagh to review a possible foul by Pablo on goalkeeper David Raya. After reviewing the footage multiple times, Kavanagh disallowed the goal.
According to reports, West Ham want further clarification from PGMOL regarding:
why the review took more than four minutes,
whether the incident met the “clear and obvious error” threshold for VAR intervention,
and perceived inconsistencies in officiating around physical contact at corners.
Reaction has been heavily divided:
Former players including Wayne Rooney, Roy Keane and Ian Wright said the foul call was correct. Many fans and pundits questioned the consistency of similar incidents being judged differently throughout the season.
The decision had huge implications at both ends of the table:
Arsenal moved five points clear in the title race,
while West Ham remained in the relegation zone.
The controversy has also reignited wider debate about grappling and blocking at set-pieces, with reports suggesting the issue could now be discussed by football lawmakers at IFAB after the World Cup.
