Howard Webb said VAR was correct to rule out West Ham United’s late equaliser against Arsenal on Sunday after officials judged Pablo to have fouled goalkeeper David Raya. Arsenal won 1-0 after the goal was disallowed in the Premier League match. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Webb, the head of England’s referees body, said the goalkeeper was impeded when an opponent grabbed or held his arms. He said that kind of contact would be penalised and added: “Is it a foul on the goalkeeper? Categorically yes.” [1, 2, 3, 5, 6]
The review at the London Stadium went to VAR after West Ham thought they had rescued a point in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Webb said the process took more than four minutes and praised the VAR team for being diligent. Reports said referee Chris Kavanagh then checked the monitor, with VAR Darren England involved. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Webb said the decision came amid rising physical contact in the penalty area, and noted Arsenal themselves have faced criticism this season for crowding keepers at corners. He also said officials would consult at the end of the season about how to police excessive grappling in the box. [1, 2, 4]
The call was described by reports as one of the most consequential VAR decisions in Premier League history. Arsenal’s win left them five points ahead of Manchester City, while West Ham stayed in the relegation zone with two games left and two points behind Tottenham Hotspur. [2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Webb said the end-of-season consultation will focus on how to deal with excessive grappling in the penalty area. [1]
