Credit: Imago, Sky Sports PL

Evan Lloyd

Mon 11 May 2026 10:00, UK

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West Ham United are reportedly set to lodge a formal complaint over the decision to rule out their late equaliser against Arsenal on Sunday.

The Hammers were trailing 1-0 in the final seconds to Leandro Trossard’s goal, in what was a key match for both the Premier League title race and the relegation fight.

Commotion in the box from a last-gasp corner eventually saw the ball fall to Callum Wilson, who struck towards goal and looked to have earned West Ham a point.

But after a lengthy review, VAR Darren England sent Chris Kavanagh to the pitch-side monitor to look at Pablo holding onto the arm of David Raya, with the referee taking a long look before chalking off the goal.

Nuno Espirito Santo and the West Ham players were left up in arms about the decision, which has provoked huge discussion across the Premier League.

Keith Hackett dismisses West Ham complaint

Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett was critical of VAR for intervening as Arsenal were denied a penalty in Madrid last month, but he was happy with Sunday’s decision.

The same cannot be said of West Ham, who, according to The Times, will lodge a formal complaint with the refereeing body.

The Hammers are unhappy with the length of time that the decision took, and are set to claim that it was not a ‘clear and obvious’ error.

But, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Hackett explained that the time taken to make the decision is ultimately irrelevant.

“Their complaint is on a foundation of sand,” he said. “The match officials in law are not under any time constraints when making their decision using VAR.

“The expectation is that they make their correct decision rather than taking a few seconds and getting it wrong. There is no error in law with regard to this decision to disallow the goal.

“The facts are that too many of these incidents have gone unpunished and grappling has become the norm. The officials made in the West Ham United versus Arsenal game the correct call in law.

“The goalkeeper was clearly impeded by having his opponent’s arm across his chest, preventing him from doing his job. It was compounded by a shirt pull at the same time.

“Perhaps football, through the owners, managers, coaches and players, will, alongside the PGMOL, take appropriate action to stop the tactics of grappling inside the penalty area and return our game to its origins rather than moving in the direction of Rugby or WWE Wrestling.”

What Nuno Espirito Santo and Mikel Arteta said

The decision to disallow West Ham’s goal has been described as the biggest VAR intervention since its introduction in 2019.

But there is a suspicion that the circumstances and the stakes have dramatically intensified the controversy surrounding what was ultimately a fairly straightforward decision.

Reacting after the game, West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Look, I did not see it quite well. I would have to see a replay but I trust a lot of what my players felt.

“They see it, they are on the pitch and said it was not a foul. We are so sad and we are so disappointed. I’m going to see it now and try to understand it better. I am not here to judge the work of the referee or the work of the VAR. It is just the lack of consistency in the last few seasons.”

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, obviously, had a different point of view. “It was a massive call but it was clearly the right call,” he said.

“My first instinct was foul but then the time goes by, the referee is waiting for the VAR decision – but when you look at it, the contact affects the way David Raya lifts his hands, the way he catches the ball.

“It is almost on his throat. Massive decision, especially when the two teams are fighting for such big things.”

The title race and the battle against relegation remain open after Sunday’s drama, but it appears clear that the discussion surrounding this decision is not going away.