England’s referees chief, Howard Webb, has backed the decision to disallow West Ham United’s late equalizer against Arsenal for a foul on the goalkeeper, calling it a clear and correct use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. The controversial moment unfolded deep into added time on Sunday, with West Ham’s Callum Wilson seemingly snatching a crucial point for the relegation battlers against Premier League leaders Arsenal—only for referee Chris Kavanagh to overturn the goal following a VAR review.
The incident, which pundits have called the biggest VAR call since the technology’s introduction in 2019, centered on a foul by Pablo on Arsenal keeper David Raya as the corner was delivered. After consulting the pitch-side monitor, Kavanagh ruled that Raya had been impeded, and the goal was chalked off, preserving a 1-0 Arsenal victory.
“Is it a foul on the goalkeeper? Categorically yes,” Webb explained on the Match Officials Mic’d Up TV program. “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 arms and therefore they can’t do their job, they’ll be penalized. Raya can’t do what he would normally do in that situation, simply catch or punch the ball, and they intervene, and they come to the right decision.”
Webb noted that while other possible fouls were reviewed, the most significant infringement was the one on the keeper. He also acknowledged the ongoing trend of increased physicality in penalty areas, often driven by set-piece strategies.
Arsenal’s victory put them five points ahead of Manchester City, who have a game in hand, while West Ham remain third from bottom and two points behind Tottenham Hotspur with two games remaining.
