Foul or no foul? Every expert opinion on West Ham vs Arsenal VAR controversy | OneFootball

One ex-professional dubs the decision ‘so wrong’ as others laud the VAR’s bravery

The match’s result carried huge implications in both the relegation battle and the title race, and Arsenal were eventually crowned 1-0 winners after some late drama.

Callum Wilson thought he had equalised when he fired home from a corner in injury time, but the goal was ruled out after a lengthy VAR check after Pablo Felipe was deemed to have fouled David Raya.

The win strengthens Arsenal’s grip on the title as they lead City by five points with two matches left to play, but also leaves West Ham on the brink of relegation.

Debate around corner grappling has proliferated throughout this Premier League season, and this latest incident has only thrown more fuel on the fire.

The experts have their say...

“It’s just so wrong on so many levels.”

“What really makes me angry is that Arsenal would never be top of the league if that’s a free-kick.

“That’s how they’ve scored so many goals, by blocking people, holding people, doing all kinds of things. And then we get to this point, it takes VAR five minutes, Darren England the VAR, it takes five minutes.

“He starts it over again and starts it over again and again… that in itself puts so much doubt into that decision that it cannot be a free-kick.

“I think it’s so wrong. I just don’t understand why all of a sudden that’s a free-kick, because it’s not been for any teams all the way throughout the season. All this, it’s just crazy. And that decision today, it’s just so wrong on so many levels.”

Pablo Felipe was deemed to have fouled David Raya after a lengthy VAR check

“They have to then call it.”

“I was wondering whether Darren England had the courage, had the nerve to overturn, and what was he going to do in this moment.

“If it's just one of those where you're just going up as a movement, then I think maybe that's something that he would have got away with, but that prolonged lasting arm across Raya, they have to then call it.

Dermot Gallagher

“The first foul is definitely by Pablo.”

“Between the officials, they came to the right decision. When you watch it, there is so much going on and to look at and what happens is you go have to go in chronological order.

“If you look at it, Pablo puts his arm across Raya, he holds him, there is no doubt about that. Behind that, Declan Rice is engaged with Mavropanos, is that a penalty?

David Raya was caught in a melee as he looked to claim a late West Ham corner

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“Well, if you look at it in that order, definitely Pablo goes first, his arm is across Raya and at that point, Rice is reaching, he does get hold of him, there is no doubt about that.

“And if there is not a foul on the goalkeeper, that is definitely a penalty as Mavropanos is running towards the ball. But the first foul is definitely by Pablo.”

Roy Keane

“Do not put your hands on the goalkeeper!”

“VAR are going to check everything… do not put your hands on the goalkeeper! Certainly don’t leave them on for three or four seconds.

“Obviously it was madness and there’s loads of other fouls, there’s all sorts going on, but because the goalkeeper has such a big part to play, I think it is a foul.

“He must know they’re going to check VAR, he’s pulling his jersey. There’s all sorts going on. You talk about the discipline… do not give a foul away.”

Arsenal’s clean sheet meant David Raya clinched a third consecutive golden glove

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Ian Wright

“It was an easy one to give.”

“When that goes in, the first thing you’re thinking is, ‘Please let something have happened’, because when Wilson hits that you’re thinking, hoping something has gone wrong there.

“Obviously you look back at it and his arm is across him. It was an easy one to give in such a tense moment.

“Everything flashed in front of me! Not great stuff. You’re thinking we might have blown it then.”

Darren Cann

“It is a foul, that is the bottom line.”

"It is a foul by Pablo holding David Raya's arm and clearly impeding Raya. Also, he is having his shirt pulled by Jean-Clair Todibo as well.

"Unfortunately, I know it is a shame for West Ham given the timing of the game, but it is a foul, that is the bottom line.

"The arm is across Raya from Pablo, but crucially he is holding Raya's arm. He's not going to punch the ball, he is trying to catch it. The fact he has an arm on the keeper means he can't catch it and he is clearly impeded."

Wayne Rooney

"It's a clear foul I think.”

"A lot of people say it probably should have stood and because it's controversial, Manchester City players, staff and fans are going to say it should have stood and then the Tottenham fans, staff and players saying it shouldn't have stood.

"But it's a clear foul, you can clearly see his [Pablo's] arm across his [Raya's] face, and it impacted him getting to the ball so, I think it's the right decision.

Callum Wilson thought he had equalised for West Ham before VAR spotted a foul on David Raya

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"It's the one time I actually think VAR's done a really good job in such an important game.

“I didn't think it was a hard decision – I think it was a simple decision and I get the importance of it but you can't take that into account, you've just got to take it for what it is and it's a foul."

Jamie Redknapp

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen more holding in my life!”

“Oh yeah, absolutely [Arsenal got away with one]. The relief for the fanbase and the manager and the players… because for that moment in time, when the ball goes in your net, Declan Rice is trying to unravel everything that’s happening.

Arsenal players plead their case with Chris Kavanagh

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“But obviously Pablo has his arm on the goalkeeper and, as an Arsenal player, you’re just praying that they can see that.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen more holding in my life! To unravel that moment, it was like watching the Super Bowl, everyone was grabbing on for dear life. It was chaos.”

Rob Green

“There were five or six fouls going on at the same time in there.”

"You are looking at two players fouling the goalkeeper. There have been so many of these this season, it has been such a talked-about topic, there has been such inconsistency with it so for it to come down to this is huge.

"In isolation: foul. There were five or six fouls going on at the same time in there, but it's where the ball landed.

"Then you think consistency: there hasn't been any. The rest of the season everyone is going to say, 'hold on a minute'."