Ex-West Ham employee makes VAR admission amid 'major issue' after Hammers loss vs Arsenal

West Ham United will feel hard-done by after seeing a late equaliser ruled out against Arsenal, but despite the anger, the officials made the right call.

Callum Wilson’s strike in the dying seconds was ruled out after a VAR review deemed Pablo was holding and blocking David Raya from claiming the ball.

The decision, while objectively fairly straight-forward, has led to controversy due to the number of goals from corners which have involved similar incidents throughout the season.

Former Man United assistant manager Mick Brown told Football Insider that he hopes the call is a step towards a crack down on holding and wrestling inside the area.

A late equaliser would have done wonders for West Ham’s relegation scrap, while dragging Arsenal back into a race with Man City, but it ultimately wasn’t to be.

Team news, line-ups, expert previews and tactical analysis for every West Ham fixture.

Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett told Football Insider on 11 May that West Ham’s goal was rightly ruled out, despite their complaints to the contrary.

The Hammers have since lodged a formal complaint due to the length of time taken to come to a decision, but their calls are likely to fall on deaf ears.

Wrestling, pulling and holding in the box has been an issue throughout the season, and despite questions over the timing of the call, referees must now crack down.

“I’ll be honest, I didn’t spot the foul at first,” Brown told Football Insider.

“It was a massive goal for West Ham in the relegation battle, and a massive goal against Arsenal in the title race, so they had to get the decision right.

“The VAR official, or whoever spotted the foul on the goalkeeper, has done an excellent job and the decision was spot on as far as I’m concerned.

“The striker had his arm across the goalkeeper’s throat and was holding him so he couldn’t jump, and that was difficult to see with a lot going on in the box.

“It’s a plus for those of us who want something to be done about the interference on corners and free-kicks, the grappling, holding and wrestling.

“I believe it’s been allowed to grow until we’ve got a situation where it has become normal and now we expect to see these types of things from set-pieces. It’s a major, major issue.

“Holding and pulling is always a free kick, that’s always been the case and this season they’ve been letting it go almost every time.

“Hopefully, this decision will be the start of a crack down on it and trying to stamp it out, because something has to be done and that has to happen now.”

Jarrod Bowen spoke out against the decision following the game, amid ongoing criticism of the officials given the consistency and unclear nature of their decisions.

Former FIFA referee Hackett has been outspoken about grappling in the box throughout the season, and believes the refereeing call against West Ham was correct.

💥 "The PGMOL have got to get to grips with this" – Ex-PL ref @HACKETTREF takes aim at chiefs following major West Ham-Arsenal VAR controversy. pic.twitter.com/Ey9AEdZvVH

“An absolutely massive decision,” he told Football Insider, “There is no doubt that the goalkeeper was impeded, and therefore they had to allow this goal.

“It’s a sad state of affairs when we witness, week in, week out, challenges of this nature going unpunished. The PGMOL management have got to get to grips with getting consistency.”

It is the consistency of these decisions which has led to the increased controversy, but both Brown and Hackett have suggested this call could be the start of major changes.

⚒️ Don’t Miss a Beat: Your West Ham Insider Access

Get the full story from the London Stadium and Rush Green with our dedicated expert hubs:

Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from East London.