Premier League receive radical rule change proposal after West Ham's disallowed goal vs Arsenal

A former Premier League referee has put forward a proposed change to the game’s rules following Arsenal’s controversial 1–0 win over West Ham United on Sunday.

Leandro Trossard’s 83rd-minute goal saw Arsenal move five points clear of second-placed Manchester City with two matches to play, but the match was not without controversy.

In second-half stoppage time, West Ham thought they had levelled and snatched a valuable point, only for the strike to be ruled out for a foul on Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya after a four-minute VAR check.

Video Assistant Referee Darren England advised referee Chris Kavanagh to go to the pitchside monitor before he awarded a foul in Arsenal’s favour, deeming there to have been a foul on Raya by Pablo.

Most pundits, including Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville, praised Kavanagh for handling the situation well and ultimately making the right decision, although Shay Given and Peter Schmeichel disagreed.

The former United shot-stopper told 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.”

Ex-Premier League official proposed drastic rule change

Meanwhile, former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann, who appeared on Match of the Day 2, believes a change to the game’s laws may be needed to prevent a similar debate in future.

Cann, who was a match official for over two decades, said: “I feel that the time has come now for a law change whereby no attackers are allowed in the six-yard box before the corner is taken.

“At goal-kicks, forwards are not allowed in the penalty area, but at corners they shouldn’t be allowed in the six-yard box until the ball is in play.

“Lots of teams grapple at corners, sometimes before the ball has come into play, and then obviously the referee can’t give a penalty or an indirect free-kick if the ball is not in play.

“So this would create that natural separation and eradicate these kinds of situations.”

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