Fans quickly notice connection between pundits complaining about Arsenal VAR call

Premier League fans believe some pundits are focusing on the wrong thing when offering their takes on the controversial decision that ruled out West Ham’s late equaliser against Arsenal on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta’s side clinched all three points to move five points clear of Manchester City, with just two Premier League matches – against Burnley and Crystal Palace – remaining.

Leandro Trossard’s 83rd-minute strike was enough to win it, despite a late onslaught of West Ham pressure.

The Irons thought Callum Wilson had snatched them a point in second-half stoppage time, only for the strike to be ruled out for a foul on Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.

VAR Darren England recommended that referee Chris Kavanagh go to the monitor before awarding the foul in Arsenal’s favour, much to the dismay of the West Ham players, manager Nuno Espírito Santo, and several pundits.

What are the pundits saying?

Many pundits have praised referee Kavanagh for dealing well with a highly pressured situation, although former Premier League goalkeepers Shay Given and Peter Schmeichel offered different takes, focusing on previous decisions going Arsenal’s way.

Speaking on Match of the Day 2, Given said: “The thing that grates on me is we have seen on numerous occasions with Arsenal this season goalkeepers and defenders getting blocked off and the goal stands. Everyone is frustrated about the consistency of refereeing decisions. Why are some goals allowed to stand and this one disallowed? There is so much at stake at the bottom of the league and at the very top.

“The other thing is Gabriel is holding, Ødegaard is holding, Trossard is holding before the foul even happens on Raya. When does the referee decide that’s the foul he wants to pick and not the previous one?”

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy explained: “The controversy and discontent around West Ham not being given the goal is because it’s Arsenal. They can’t be held accountable for decisions in the past.

“The VAR officials have got to say what they see and it’s a clear foul. Just because it’s Arsenal, we shouldn’t get it distorted.”

Ex-England goalkeeper Robert Green told BBC Radio 5 Live: “It is a foul. You are looking at two players fouling the goalkeeper. There have been so many of these this season, it has been such a talked-about topic, and there has been such inconsistency with it, so for it to come down to this is huge.

“It just feels like, for VAR, for West Ham, for Arsenal in particular with their set-pieces, it has been the topic of the season.

“In isolation – foul. There were five or six fouls going on at the same time in there, but it’s where the ball landed. Then you think about consistency – there hasn’t been any.”

Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney commented: “It’s a clear foul.

“You’re going to get a lot of people saying they think it should have stood because it’s controversial. Probably all the [Manchester] City players, staff and fans are going to say it should have stood. Then you’re going to get all the Tottenham fans, players and staff saying it shouldn’t have stood, and of course the Arsenal fans.

“But it’s a clear foul. I think you can clearly see the arm crosses his face and it impacts him getting to the ball, so I think it’s the right decision.

“It’s the one time I actually think VAR has done a really good job in such an important game.”

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Schmeichel offered a similar take to his goalkeeping counterpart Given, with the Dane telling Viaplay: “What really makes me angry is that Arsenal would never be top of the league if that’s a free-kick.

“That’s how they’ve scored so many goals – by blocking people, holding people, doing all kinds of things.

“And then we get to this point. It takes VAR five minutes – Darren England, the VAR – it takes five minutes.

“He starts it over again and again… that in itself puts so much doubt into that decision that it cannot be a free-kick.

“I think it’s so wrong. I just don’t understand why all of a sudden that’s a free-kick, because it hasn’t been for any teams all the way throughout the season.

“All this – it’s just crazy. And that decision today, it’s just so wrong on so many levels.”

Speaking on his podcast, Gary Neville weighed in: “At the start, we didn’t know. Was it over the line? That was what I was thinking, but it looked over the line and Declan Rice, as it turned out, was way behind the line.

“But then we see a VAR check for a foul on the goalkeeper, and I think that’s the biggest moment in VAR history in the Premier League.

“There are a lot who aren’t fans of VAR, and maybe rightly so, but it could have just made Arsenal champions, and it could have got a decision right that wouldn’t have been right.

“I was wondering whether Darren England had the courage, had the nerve to overturn it, and what he was going to do in this moment. I have to say we get the luxury – and I wish all fans at home and in the stadium got the same – of being able to hear them. To be fair, he was composed, walking through it, talking to the referee and his colleague next to him, and he handled it perfectly.

“He checked everything around it. There was a little foul by Rice behind – I think that was maybe after the Raya foul – and just the fact that Pablo had his arm there and wasn’t looking at the ball. He wasn’t trying to play the ball; he was just looking to impede the goalkeeper.

“If it’s just one of those where you’re going up naturally, then maybe that’s something he gets away with. But that prolonged arm across Raya means they have to call it.

“Darren England made the right decision and Arsenal breathed the biggest sigh of relief their fans have felt for a long, long time.”

His former United team-mate and Sky Sports colleague Roy Keane added: “The one thing you say when you go up is VAR are going to check everything – do not put your hands on the goalkeeper! Certainly don’t leave it there for three or four seconds.

“There is all sorts going on, but because the goalkeeper had such a big part to play, I think it is a foul. It was really silly from West Ham. Don’t make it such an obvious foul because they are going to check.”

Fans react to pundits' takes

Fans also took to social media not only to give their thoughts on the VAR call, but also to respond to the pundits’ comments, with Given and Schmeichel catching the brunt of the criticism from Arsenal fans.

One said: “Of all the crying-through-gritted-teeth punditry of this incident we’ve seen and heard, I think Shay Given’s was the worst. He was clearly and calmly talked through what happened and why the decision was correct, and yet he just kept coming with his ‘yeah, but, no but, Arsenal this, Arsenal that’ fume.”

Another added: “Shay Given being salty as an ex-City player.”

A third commented: “Shay Given sounds so broken.”

While a fourth slammed: “Shay Given has let himself down massively. I will bathe in the tears of City fans and sympathisers.”

A fifth claimed: “Peter Schmeichel is one of the most washed pundits on TV, his opinion has no credibility. And that’s not even factoring in his Arsenal bias from his time as a United player.”

West Ham return to action away at Newcastle on 17 May, before Arsenal host Burnley on 18 May.