West Ham’s Premier League future is hanging by a thread after the 95th minute video assistant referee intervening to rule out Callum wilson’s superb volley. Seeing the VAR camera view from the reverse angle on the opposite side to the corner, it is clear there is West Ham player’s hand grasping Raya’s shirt and preventing him from jumping.
Even managing to look the other way at the same moment, Jean Clair Todibo’s deadpan face within a scrum of players gave nothing away .’That‘ goal was ruled out correctly- not for Pablo’s arm across the goal keeper – but for Todibo’s shirt pulling.
So the right decision, wrong reason, however tough to take.
What makes it so hard for Hammers fans is that we’ve been victim of Arsenal’s skullduggery from set pieces ourselves – as have most Premier League sides. So the irony of the master mischief makers screaming for VAR to rescue their three points is what made it doubly difficult to take.
Nuno, visibly upset, couldn’t trust himself to talk about the VAR intervention after the game:
“We were all upset of course. Alluding to decisions going against them in previous weeks..Circumstances in the past have been judged different. Let’s not go any further.”
West Ham – if relegated – will not have been condemned to second tier football because of their performance today.
They will have been relegated for their form last year when there was no fight, no bite and no desire.
It is a shame to witness the team giving their all and competing toe to toe with the champions-designate and wondering ‘where was all of this last year‘? Especially since a team which has come together with such morale and obvious camaraderie is likely playing its last two games as a unit before being picked apart by the Premier League vultures.
Been through it before, we’ll cope with it fine. But just now, it hurts.
According to motd the referee gave the foul because it had the most impact and that in itself shows the bias because the foul on mavropanus happened before, during and after the corner and that had the most impact on whu because he was the most likely to score, whereas the foul on the goalkeeper after the foul on mavropanus had the most impact on arsenal. Bias from everywhere with this. When was the rule added that referees had to judge which foul had the most impact. Disgraceful.
Arteta & Guardiola have teams that take professional fouling and pretending to be fouled to the limits of VAR. Calling themselves ‘winners’ there’ll be ruining the game at the same time, unlike the attitude of Liverpool under Klopp. These 2 very good managers are not to blame but are part of the problem.
Perhaps have both linesmen come in close (between 6-12yds of post) for a much better view and have him/her looking for off-ball incidents before corner ball comes in and with the referee taking a decision. Rely on human judgement again for penalty area decisions as so many simultaneous incidents to examine using VAR. Use 4th official and apparently there is a reserve additional referee can all be in position near half-way to allow linesmen time to get back into position after a corner.
This way you’d have 3 officials close in, keeping their eyes peeled for any dastardly skulduggery at corners.
Tackle on Soucek-Foul. Todibo being bear hugged-Foul.Rice blocking Summerville-Foul. Rice trying to drag back Mav-Foul.Any given,NO.Look long enough and you will find a “foul by West Ham-goal disallowed.Accept West Ham didn’t do enough at the early part of the season but lately referees and VAR have ensured that West Ham get relegated and have kept Spurs up,probably because they spent so much money on a new ground.PGMOL have stated it was a wrong decision and so have many others.Goalkeepers should not be protected like this when they come out of their area.
In the context of the premier league the worse VAR decision of all time !
If you look at Raya he isn’t asking for a foul …. And that’s the real proof !!
Disgraceful…. I feel completely cheated !!
I’ve said if before .
VAR should only be used for offside !
Sullivan will cry his eyes out when all best players leave and the stadium will be empty
Martin… what about the rugby tackle by Rice on Mavropanos? Why do we not then get a penalty for that blatant foul by Rice that commenced before the ball even reached the Goalie.
In my view there were wrongs by both sides. Arsenal were NOT squeaky clean on that corner by any stretch.
So for me the onfield decision should have stood. The fact it took them so long to rule the goal shows it was NOT clear and obvious.
And here is the problem with the game. Put simply VAR is killing the passion in the game. Watching from home, when the goal went in my son leaped in the air with joy and jubilation.
I didn’t even get up off my chair!! I had almost no reaction. I just said …… ‘it won’t stand VAR will find something to rule it out. Its Arsenal they are top 6 we are not’……and VAR duly delivered to rule the goal out all the while showing the replay where Rice is literally playing rugby. But it was like no one on the planet saw it.
Seriously the game is gone. For me to have no joy or reaction in that moment, and just sit their cynical at the decision that was coming 5 minutes later. I question what is the point?
Football is meant to be a spontaneous sport, not a micro-science!!
This. Absolutely this.
The problem, is that I did react, like a mad man in the pub. Then had the same reaction as you, HammerDan – sat there knowing it would be overturned. They delivered, the Arsenal fans cheered like they’d scored and I looked like a mug, asking myself the same question… What is the point?
Is anyone missing the point here or is it just me ? Nuno finally brings Wilson on after 85 minutes in a game we have to win and not only does he have the goal ruled out hes shot also won the corner leading up to it he did more in them 10 minutes than pablo has done all season… yes im angry about the disallowed goal which not surprising was down to pablo but equally just as angry with Nuno for persevering with him he is without doubt one of the worst players I have seen play for West Ham in 40 years and I’ve seen some dross over that time
Does that change anything? Especially since the goal was disallowed as Pablos offence not Tobido so he wasn’t spotted. There are still all the rugby challenges before Pablos pretty timid limp arm across the keeper while he was being fouled himself.
The FA and Referees have to sort out the rugby free for all and get some consistency on challenges on keepers.
This game with the biggest prize and loss at stake is a snapshot of how anarchy at corners rules and even if your team benefits its not right for football.
The issue is not what happened with Raya, Rice was rugby tackling Dinos to keep him away from the ball. It was a deliberate ploy no doubt devised in training and it happened prior to the ball reaching Raya. The correct decision should have been penalty or allow the goal to stand
I agree with all the comments concerning the Rice rugby tackle and sadly this is not the first time in recent weeks. He did it against Chelsea and, I think Newcastle was the other team, with 3 different referees.
I just hope he doesn’t continue this action at the world cup which could concede penalties against England.
Oh it will, because the reffing at World Cups is great and they won’t stand for that rubbish.
The way they introduced VAR at the World Cup to us all was great, and I was quite excited by the drama. But as usual, us Brits have to overthink it, over-engineer it, over-govern it and voila, it’s sanitised and ruined something that had magic, drama and romance. Typical.
If that has been scored by Arsenal it would have been given. That’s all I’ll say.