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Rooney praises 'really good' VAR call in Arsenal win
TL;DR
Wayne Rooney praised the VAR decision that disallowed West Ham's late equaliser against Arsenal. The Gunners won 1-0, moving five points ahead of Manchester City in the Premier League.
Key points
- Wayne Rooney praised VAR for disallowing West Ham's goal.
- West Ham's late equaliser was ruled out for a foul.
- Arsenal won the match 1-0.
- Arsenal is now five points clear of Manchester City.
- West Ham sits in 18th place in the Premier League.
Mentioned in this story
Wayne Rooney
ArsenalWest HamManchester CityTottenham Hotspur
Former England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney believes the video assistant referee "did a really good job" in disallowing West Ham's late equaliser against Arsenal.
The Hammers had appeared to have dealt a significant blow to Arsenal's title hopes as well as boosting their own Premier League survival prospects when Callum Wilson struck in stoppage time.
But after a VAR review, the goal was ruled out for a foul by Pablo on Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.
The Gunners went on to win 1-0, taking them five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League and making West Ham's future that bit more uncertain as they sit in 18th place with Tottenham Hotspur a point above them.
"It's a clear foul," Rooney said on the Wayne Rooney Show.
"You're going to obviously get a lot of people saying they think it should have stood because it's controversial and probably all the [Manchester] City players, staff, fans are going to say it should have stood. And then you're going to get all the Tottenham fans, players, staff saying it shouldn't have stood and of course the Arsenal fans and stuff.
"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."
Despite being satisfied the correct decision was made, Rooney lamented the advantage goalkeepers get inside their own area.
"I think where VAR is consistent and the referees are consistent - and I hate it - is you go anywhere near the goalkeeper and it's a foul," he said.
"You go anywhere near the goalkeeper and you give a foul. Throughout my career as a player, I've had a dislike for goalkeepers because of that reason. I think because (...) they can jump with their arms and so they have got a big advantage and normally they come out with their knees and the studs down your back and stuff.
Q&A
What did Wayne Rooney say about the VAR decision in the Arsenal vs West Ham match?
Wayne Rooney stated that the VAR did a 'really good job' in disallowing West Ham's late equaliser due to a foul.
How did the VAR decision impact the Premier League standings?
The VAR decision helped Arsenal secure a 1-0 victory, putting them five points clear of Manchester City and leaving West Ham in 18th place.
Who scored the disallowed goal for West Ham against Arsenal?
Callum Wilson scored the disallowed goal for West Ham in stoppage time.
What foul led to the disallowance of West Ham's goal against Arsenal?
The goal was ruled out for a foul by Pablo on Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.
