![\"Chris](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/720e6ca451304e710fad6b8c65a949b7.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nArsenal remains in control of the Premier League title race, thanks to a late goal and an even later, dramatic VAR call on Sunday.<\/p>\n
A 1-0 win over relegation-threatened West Ham restored Arsenal’s five-point lead over second-place Manchester City and came with a huge dose of controversy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leading thanks to Leandro Trossard’s 83rd-minute goal, Arsenal looked like it would be throwing away two crucial points \u2014 and losing its slim advantage in the title race \u2014 when West Ham substitute Callum Wilson lashed a shot over the line following a corner in the fifth minute of stoppage time.<\/p>\n
Arsenal’s players complained and there was a long video review, which spotted West Ham player Pablo had his left arm across the face of David Raya as the Arsenal goalkeeper attempted to get to the ball after the corner was swung in.<\/p>\n
Raya flapped weakly at the ball amidst the general melee that every corner kick has descended into this season, with players from both sides hanging off each other and grabbing each other’s shirts \u2014 Pablo himself was being held by three separate Arsenal players.<\/p>\n
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Chris Kavanagh faced an unenviable task in unpicking the madness. (Getty Images: Marc Atkins)<\/p>\n
The referee, Chris Kavanagh, looked at the incident on the pitch-side monitor and chose to rule out the goal, sparking delirium on one side of the divide and deep anger on the other.<\/p>\n
“I saw the replay now and I think it’s an obvious decision,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said in an interview with the BBC.<\/p>\n
“It was a massive call but it was clearly the right call.<\/p>\n
“My first instinct was foul but then the time goes by, the referee is waiting for the VAR decision \u2014 but when you look at it, the contact affects the way David Raya lifts his hands, the way he catches the ball. It is almost on his throat.<\/p>\n
“Massive decision, especially when the two teams are fighting for such big things.”<\/p>\n
West Ham’s players felt aggrieved, with Tom\u00e1\u0161 Sou\u010dek complaining that video reviews were only brought in to look for “big errors”.<\/p>\n
“For football, this is a disappointing moment and for every fan this is not what we want,” Sou\u010dek said.<\/p>\n
“We want goals, we want celebrations. Not to wait 10 minutes for a small foul.”<\/p>\n
![\"West](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2f382fd1d7992586059b985e8fc788b0.jpeg\")
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West Ham United’s players were furious at the decision. (Getty Images: PA Images\/John Walton)<\/p>\n
West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen said “contact and tussles” were expected in the EPL.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“I get that you can’t wipe a goalkeeper out and there’s arms there but the ‘keeper’s come out to try and grab the ball so \u2026 he’s got to expect some contact,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“It’s a corner kick, it’s physical, it’s the Premier League \u2014 there’s going to be contact and tussles.”<\/p>\n
![\"Leandro](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ef0514a9111ce83d136b07593c3dd89f.jpeg\")
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