West Ham United are set to make a formal complaint to refereeing body PGMOL after their stoppage-time equaliser against Arsenal was controversially ruled out following a lengthy VAR review.
Callum Wilson thought he had rescued a crucial point for West Ham when he fired home in the 95th minute during Sunday’s Premier League clash.
However, referee Chris Kavanagh disallowed the goal after being sent to the pitchside monitor by VAR official Darren England.
Kavanagh reportedly reviewed the incident 17 times before concluding that Pablo Felipe fouled Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya in the build-up.
The decision proved decisive in both the Premier League title race and the relegation battle.
West Ham demand explanation
West Ham are now expected to contact PGMOL to request the audio recordings of the exchange between Kavanagh and the VAR team during the review process.
Had the goal stood, the Hammers would have moved level on points with relegation rivals Tottenham Hotspur ahead of Spurs’ clash against Leeds United.
The result also allowed Arsenal to maintain a five-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table.
Arteta praises officials despite backlash
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta defended the officials after the match and praised the referee for making what he described as a difficult but correct call.
“It was a brave call and consistent with what they talked about all season,” Arteta said.
“It is an obvious foul and the goal has to be disallowed.”
West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo, however, admitted frustration with the lack of consistency surrounding physical contact inside the penalty area.
“There is so much grappling and holding, it’s like wrestling but nobody understands what is or isn’t a foul,” he said.
Former referee Dermot Gallagher later backed the decision, insisting the initial infringement on Raya justified the goal being overturned.
