Nuno Espirito Santo addresses the ‘controversial’ decision against Arsenal that denied West Ham an equaliser

Arsenal would emerge as 1-0 winners in their clash with West Ham, helping them edge closer to the Premier League title, but it was not without incident.

The Gunners moved five points clear of Manchester City as they aim to lift their first English top-flight trophy for 22 years.

Leandro Trossard’s goal in the 83rd minute was the decisive strike; however, the Hammers did have the ball in the back of the Arsenal net in stoppage time, but this would be ruled out for a foul on the goalkeeper.

Referee Chris Kavanagh was sent to the pitch-side monitor by Darren England from the VAR team to check if David Raya had been fouled in the build-up to the goal; after consulting the images, a foul would be given against West Ham and the goal would be ruled out.

Speaking to beIN Sports, West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo gave his verdict on the incident.

🗣️ "Everybody involved in football lost a little bit of perception what is or is not a foul - that's why we are upset."

Nuno Espirito Santo speaks to @CarrieBrownTV following @WestHam's dramatic defeat to Arsenal.#beINPL #WHUARS #WHUFC pic.twitter.com/b2sEryyziV

— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) May 10, 2026

He said: “Controversial. Due to, I think, the recent past of the Premier League, how it has been happening at corners, the blocks, and the holding. So, I think everybody involved in football lost a little bit of perception what is or is not a foul – that's why we are upset. As in similar situations, there are different decisions.

“I don’t quite understand.

“Sometimes it looks like a wrestling battle, so the concept of a foul is being driven away from what we used to see, and this leaves the players confused, leaving the crowd not understanding the reason behind the difference of decision.”

This defeat leaves West Ham in the relegation zone, a point behind Tottenham Hotspur with only two games remaining in their campaign, while Spurs have three.

🚨🗣️ 𝗡𝗘𝗪: Peter Schmeichel: "Arsenal have been blocking the opponent's goalkeeper all season long, they would NEVER be on top of the league if we disallow these goals!"

— ViaPlay pic.twitter.com/YdrcnGcMMX

— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) May 10, 2026

Their final two fixtures would not be considered easy, as they need to travel to face Newcastle United before hosting Leeds United on the final day of the campaign.

Had the strike been awarded, the Hammers would not have moved out of the relegation zone due to goal difference, but they would have boosted their chances of survival.

Santo appeared to be pleading for consistency in the officiating around incidents within the box, a point that former Premier League winner Peter Schmeichel agreed with while speaking on ViaPlay.

The Manchester United legend believes that Arsenal would never be in the position of winning the league title had they not been blocking opposition goalkeepers all season.

Here's the perfect example. This ultimately won Arsenal three huge points on the opening weekend of the Premier League. From start to finish of the season, there is a confusing lack of consistency in how the game is officiated. Rules aren't this flexible. pic.twitter.com/unvIWNCGA6 https://t.co/rvoPJW9Apv

— Adam (@AdamJoseph) May 10, 2026

Schmeichel said: “Arsenal have been blocking the opponent's goalkeeper all season long; they would NEVER be on top of the league if we disallowed these goals!"

Meanwhile, fans of opposition clubs were quick to find incidents through Arteta’s tenure where Arsenal have blocked keepers and scored goals that had stood.

Supporters, like Schmeichel, are calling for consistency from the officials that are taking charge of the Premier League fixtures.