It’s perhaps fitting in a Premier League season in which the use of VAR has created more debate than ever, that what could end up being the most consequential goal of the season was wiped out on Sunday afternoon.
When West Ham United man Callum Wilson fired home through a packed Arsenal penalty area in stoppage time at the London Stadium, he believed he had clawed back a crucial point in the Hammers' battle against the drop and dented the Gunners’ title hopes in the process.
However, as the home fans erupted into celebration, Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal players immediately protested, and VAR stepped in.
Why West Ham’s goal did not stand - and a previous Arsenal strike did
After a lengthy review, VAR Darren England told referee Chris Kavanagh to look at the screen, with the goal subsequently being ruled out for a foul by Pablo on Arsenal stopper David Raya.
The Gunners would go on to win 1-0, extending their lead over Manchester City to five points, while West Ham remain in the final relegation spot, one point and one place below Tottenham, ahead of Spurs’ Monday night clash at home to Leeds United.
Naturally, the inquest on the VAR decision began immediately, with the majority of pundits believing that the match officials got the decision correct, with Pablo’s arm crossing over the face of Raya, with that movement impacting the goalkeeper’s ability to get the ball.
That opened the door to another debate on the advantages that goalkeepers get inside their own area, but in terms of the rulebook, the correct decision was made.
Another debate quickly splintered off, as fans pointed to similarities between Wilson’s chalked-off strike with a goal that Arsenal scored earlier in the season.
Back in August, Riccardo Calafiori headed a Declan Rice cross over the line at Old Trafford, to hand Arsenal a 1-0 victory over Manchester United, only for the Red Devils to protest that goalkeeper Altay Bayindir had been impeded by William Saliba.
That goal was allowed to stand, with former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher explaining why on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch at the time.
"Not a foul, not a foul at all," he said. "If anything, the goalkeeper puts his hand on the player."
Gallagher was then on hand to give his verdict on Wilson’s disallowed strike on Monday morning, insisting that referee Kavanagh was correct to rule it out.
“Pablo puts his arm across Raya,” he insisted. “He holds him, there’s no doubt about that.”
