Season-defining VAR call causes division in EPL

The referee picked out just one foul amid this chaos. (Getty Images: Marc Atkins) Arsenal have survived a big scare against West Ham United, who were denied a late equaliser after a four-minute-long VAR check. The referee ruled that David Raya was fouled in the penalty area, cancelling out Callum Wilson's score. Arsenal now just need two wins to claim a first league title since 2004, while West Ham are a point adrift of safety at the bottom. Link copiedShareShare articleArsenal remains in control of the Premier League title race, thanks to a late goal and an even later, dramatic VAR call on Sunday. A 1-0 win over relegation-threatened West Ham restored Arsenal's five-point lead over second-place Manchester City and came with a huge dose of controversy. Leading thanks to Leandro Trossard's 83rd-minute goal, Arsenal looked like it would be throwing away two crucial points — and losing its slim advantage in the title race — when West Ham substitute Callum Wilson lashed a shot over the line following a corner in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Arsenal's players complained and there was a long video review, which spotted West Ham player Pablo had his left arm across the face of David Raya as the Arsenal goalkeeper attempted to get to the ball after the corner was swung in. Raya flapped weakly at the ball amidst the general melee that every corner kick has descended into this season, with players from both sides hanging off each other and grabbing each other's shirts — Pablo himself was being held by three separate Arsenal players. Chris Kavanagh faced an unenviable task in unpicking the madness. (Getty Images: Marc Atkins) The referee, Chris Kavanagh, looked at the incident on the pitch-side monitor and chose to rule out the goal, sparking delirium on one side of the divide and deep anger on the other. "I saw the replay now and I think it's an obvious decision," Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said in an interview with the BBC. "It was a massive call but it was clearly the right call. "My first instinct was foul but then the time goes by, the referee is waiting for the VAR decision — but when you look at it, the contact affects the way David Raya lifts his hands, the way he catches the ball. It is almost on his throat. "Massive decision, especially when the two teams are fighting for such big things." West Ham's players felt aggrieved, with Tomáš Souček complaining that video reviews were only brought in to look for "big errors". "For football, this is a disappointing moment and for every fan this is not what we want," Souček said. "We want goals, we want celebrations. Not to wait 10 minutes for a small foul." West Ham United's players were furious at the decision. (Getty Images: PA Images/John Walton) West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen said "contact and tussles" were expected in the EPL. "I get that you can't wipe a goalkeeper out and there's arms there but the 'keeper's come out to try and grab the ball so … he's got to expect some contact," he said. "It's a corner kick, it's physical, it's the Premier League — there's going to be contact and tussles." ABC Sport Daily is your daily sports conversation. We dive into the biggest story of the day and get you up to speed with everything else that's making headlines. Hammers coach Nuno Espírito Santo bemoaned the lack of consistency over the season. "I'm going to see it now and try to understand it better," Nuno told the BBC. "I am not here to judge the work of the referee or the work of the VAR. It is just the lack of consistency in the last few seasons. "With the allowance of grappling, blocking, holding, I think we have lost a bit of what is a foul and what isn't a foul. Previously, it would be judged differently, so that's what upsets me." It was a big call with huge ramifications. It left Arsenal two wins from a first league title since 2004, with games to come at home to already-relegated Burnley and, in the final round, away to a Crystal Palace team that might field a weakened line-up due to having the Conference League final three days later. It also left West Ham a point adrift of safety, in third-to-last place with two games remaining, while guaranteeing another season in the Premier League for Nottingham Forest and Leeds. Fourth-to-last Tottenham can move four points clear of West Ham with a win over Leeds on Monday. It's now a two-team fight for survival between West Ham and Tottenham. Leandro Trossard scored Arsenal's winning goal. (Getty Images: Arsenal FC/David Price) Copy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)PromotionSportBold Bledisloe Cup proposal could be a major win for Australian and NZ rugbyAnalysis by Luke Pentony

Season-defining VAR call causes division in EPL

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