Arteta praises ‘very brave’ officials for disallowing West Ham’s equaliser | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta praised the match officials for having the courage to check and disallow West Ham’s late equaliser in Arsenal’s 1-0 win at the London Stadium.

Leandro Trossard scored the crucial winner for Arsenal as they moved one step closer to winning the Premier League title.

But it looked as though they would be denied all three points when Callum Wilson struck in the 96th minute.

The goal was checked and then disallowed for a foul by Pablo on goalkeeper David Raya, however, and Arteta says it was a brave but correct call from the VAR and referee Chris Kavanagh.

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“Probably today I have realised how big and how difficult the referee’s job is,” Arteta admitted after the game.

“You’re talking about a moment that can decide the history and the course of two massive clubs that are fighting with their lives to achieve their objectives.

“The pressure is huge.”

David Raya had made a crucial stop to deny Mateus Fernandes an opener before Trossard’s winner, and Arteta says the moments went with his side.

“Martin (Odegaard) came in and had an incredible impact on the game, an action that leaves Leo (Trossard) in a top position to score the goal,” he said.

“There are two (other) moments. One is David’s (Raya) save at 0-0, one against one, and the other one in chaotic circumstances when two teams are playing for their lives, a call from the refs that I think is very brave but very consistent with what they’ve been talking about all season.

“When I’ve had to be critical, I have been, and today I have to praise them (the referees) for at least giving the referee the option to decide, away from the light and the chaos, to give clarity to him to make the right call and I think when you look at the action in that way, I think it is an obvious error, a free-kick, and the goal has to be disallowed.

“They made a big call in very, very difficult circumstances.”

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