PGMOL chief Howard Webb reveals verdict on West Ham disallowed goal vs Arsenal | OneFootball

PGMOL chief Howard Webb has praised referee Chris Kavanagh and the VAR team at Stockley Park for penalising a ‘clear and obvious offence’ against David Raya in West Ham’s controversial 1-0 defeat to Arsenal.

Leandro Trossard scored what turned out to be a critical winner effecting both ends of the table on Sunday, although the game at the London Stadium did not come without arguably the most important VAR incident of the season so far.

Callum Wilson had an equaliser disallowed deep into stoppage time after West Ham substitute Pablo was deemed to have fouled Raya, with the VAR check totalling four minutes and 17 seconds as Darren England instructed referee Kavanagh to review the footage on his pitchside monitor.

After Arsenal held on for a crucial three points in their bid for a first Premier League title in more than 20 years, the result left the Hammers a point adrift of Tottenham in the final relegation spot.

While pundits across networks debated over whether the goal should have been allowed or not, it once again brought into focus the role VAR has in the game.

But in the latest instalment of Match Officials Mic’d Up, uploaded two days on from the clash at the London Stadium, former Premier League referee Webb explained why he felt confident the officials eventually arrived at the ‘right’ conclusion.

“One of the great things about this show is that it gives us an opportunity to show the world the way officials work through these types of situations, an absolutely huge one in this case,” Webb explained.

“It allows people to hear the communications, it allows us to show the process they’re going through, it allows us to be really transparent which is what we’ve always said we wanted to be.

“You’ll see in that situation that it takes a bit of time because they’re going through a process diligently, because they really respect the game and they’re aware, of course, of the size of this situation, of the importance of this situation.

“Is it a foul on the goalkeeper? Categorically yes. We’ve said all season, including in pre-season briefings with the players, that if a goalkeeper is impeded by an opponent grabbing or holding their arm and therefore they can’t do their job, they’ll be penalised.

“We’re not just talking about contact with goalkeepers, we’re talking about a specific type of contact when the goalkeeper’s arms or hands are being interfered with, stopping them doing their job.

“So, when you see the best angle on this, you’ll see that that’s what happens from Pablo. And on the video, it’s clear and it’s obvious and it happens early.”

Webb went on to add that the foul from Pablo on Raya was ‘clear and obvious’, given that it prevented Arsenal’s No.1 from reacting how he would ‘normally’ in that situation.

Webb addresses Arsenal ‘grappling’ issues

When asked why other instances of grappling from Declan Rice, Gabriel Magalhaes and Trossard – happening at the same time – had been overlooked, Webb replied: “It’s a good question. We’re in the Premier League and we know that not every contact is a foul.

“We consult all the time with the clubs, with the fan groups, with a range of other stakeholders about the type of game that they want to see and how they want us to officiate it.

“This season has been a little bit more unique than previous ones about the number of contacts in the penalty area and it does create a challenge for the officials.

“But when they’re trying to identify what should be penalised, they’re looking for situations that are impactful. Situations happen differently, sometimes the contact is lower than other times, sometimes it’s right on the ball and other times it’s away from the ball. We’ll allow some form of contact.

“When I say they’re looking for impactful contact, they’re looking mainly for those situations which prevent the player from doing their job, moving, and particularly when it impacts their ability to play the ball.

“A key player in this moment is, of course, the goalkeeper. He’s got a unique ability to use his hands and what we see in this situation, different to the other situations around the penalty area, is the goalkeeper can’t do that job because of that very clear action from the attacker which prevents him putting his arm up.

“He is being held as well from behind by Todibo but there’s other bits and pieces of contact from other players, from Arsenal players too, but the most significant contact is undoubtedly the one on the goalkeeper. It stops him from doing something pretty routine, catching the ball.”

Meanwhile, Webb also confirmed that the PGMOL are also open to introducing new rules to combat grappling and holding inside the box for next season.

“Maybe. We’ll certainly continue consulting with all the people I mentioned earlier about the type of game they want to see,” Webb added.

“We have seen more involvement from set-piece coaches, bringing players together in these areas.

“We’ve done better this year, we’ve penalised twice as many holding penalties than we did last year, but we’ve missed some as well, we’ve missed some holding situations.

“Not like this, though, where the goalkeeper’s arms are being interfered with. This is different and this is why this one is a clear offence and a good use of VAR.

“It took some time, we have to take our time to get it right in this really important situation, and you’ll see this situation being identified, and rightly so.

“The VAR recommended the referee looked at the screen and looked at everything, not just that individual situation. They were diligent, they looked at the entire piece, and were able to identify the offence that needed penalising.”