Ex-refs & pundits agree West Ham goal was correctly disallowed

Ex-refs & pundits agree West Ham goal was correctly disallowed

Former referees and TV pundits have agreed that West Ham United’s goal against Arsenal on Sunday was correctly disallowed, despite complaints to the contrary.

Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images

There was plenty of controversy around West Ham United’s late disallowed goal against Arsenal on Sunday, but much of it seemed to be based on the circumstances, rather than the decision itself.

West Ham are in desperate need of points, as they currently sit in the relegation zone. But Arsenal couldn’t afford to drop any, as they push for the Premier League title.

So it was a huge call to make, yet not a particularly difficult one according to the rules.

As David Raya jumped to catch the ball from a corner, his shirt was pulled by West Ham’s Jean-Clair Todibo. Substitute Pablo Felipe then placed an arm over the top of Raya’s body, locking his hand around Raya’s arm, and the two West Ham players combined to prevent Raya catching the ball.

Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images

The ball fell to Callum Wilson, who scored, but the decision was overturned after a VAR review. Multiple former referees have since come out in defence of the final call.

“When you look at it, you can clearly see that Pablo has impeded Raya,” ex-ref Mark Halsey said. “You can clearly see that. Not only that, but you can see that Todibo has got hold of Raya’s shirt, so he’s pulling it down.

“Very difficult for Chris Kavanagh, in real time, to see that. But that’s what VAR is there for. In my opinion, they’ve come to the correct decision, there’s two fouls in there!”

Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images

Some West Ham fans have pointed out that Declan Rice wrapped his arms around Konstantinos Mavropanos, arguing that a penalty should have been awarded, if not the goal.

But fellow ex-ref Dermot Gallagher points out to Sky Sports that the Raya foul occurs first.

“You have to go in chronological order,” Gallagher said. “If you look at it, Pablo puts his arm across Raya, he holds him, there’s no doubt about that. If you look at the back behind that, there’s Declan Rice engaging with Mavropanos. Is that a penalty?

“Well, if you look at it in that order, definitely Pablo goes first. At that point, Declan Rice is reaching, he hasn’t got hold of Mavropanos. The first foul is, in my opinion, by Pablo.”

Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images

Danny Murphy told the BBC that he believes some analysis of the decision has been based on the fact that it’s Arsenal involved in it, rather than objectively looking at the incident on its own merits.

“Just because it’s Arsenal, we shouldn’t get it distorted,” Murphy said. “It’s a foul, and there shouldn’t be any controversy to it. The only reason there is, is because it’s Arsenal.”

Former match official Darren Cain then pushed back on suggestions that the decision took too long to make, arguing that it was better to take the time to reach the right conclusion than to rush it and get it wrong.

“I think we don’t want 30 seconds and then get the wrong decision,” Cain said. “Yes, five minutes is a long time, but it’s such a crucial decision, that we need to get the right decision.

“I’d much rather the right decision that takes a bit longer than to take 30 seconds and get it wrong, and then the title is decided on the wrong decision. Or maybe relegation is decided on the wrong decision.”