Former England national football team and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney said the video assistant referee made the correct call by disallowing West Ham United’s stoppage-time equaliser against Arsenal.
Former England national football team and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney said the video assistant referee made the correct call by disallowing West Ham United’s stoppage-time equaliser against Arsenal.
The Hammers thought they had rescued a crucial point when Callum Wilson scored late in the match, a moment that could have damaged Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge while helping West Ham in their fight to avoid relegation. However, after a VAR review, the goal was cancelled because Pablo was judged to have fouled Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.
Arsenal eventually secured a 1-0 victory, moving five points ahead of Manchester City at the top of the table. Meanwhile, West Ham remained in 18th place, one point behind Tottenham Hotspur.
Speaking on the Wayne Rooney Show, Rooney insisted the incident was clearly a foul. He acknowledged that reactions would differ depending on club loyalties, with Manchester City supporters likely wanting the goal to stand, while Arsenal and Tottenham followers would favour the opposite decision.
The former striker explained that Pablo’s arm made contact with Raya’s face and prevented the goalkeeper from reaching the ball properly. For that reason, Rooney believed the officials arrived at the right conclusion and praised VAR for handling such an important moment effectively.
Even though he agreed with the ruling, Rooney admitted he has long disliked the level of protection goalkeepers receive inside the penalty area. He argued that referees regularly award free-kicks whenever attackers make minimal contact with a goalkeeper.
Rooney added that during his own playing career he often found goalkeepers difficult to deal with because they already possess physical advantages when challenging for crosses. Despite his frustration with how the laws are applied, he accepted that referees have generally remained consistent in giving goalkeepers favourable decisions in those situations.
Former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann described the incident as an extremely difficult moment for VAR official Darren England. Speaking on Match of the Day, Cann said the official deserved credit for making what he considered the correct call, adding that it may have been the biggest VAR intervention in Premier League history.
Ex-Newcastle United goalkeeper Shay Given focused on the issue of consistency. He argued that similar blocking incidents involving Arsenal players earlier in the season had resulted in goals being allowed, which has caused frustration among players and supporters over how decisions are interpreted.
Given also pointed to additional grappling inside the penalty area before the contact on Raya occurred, mentioning that Gabriel Magalhaes, Martin Odegaard, and Leandro Trossard were involved in holding opponents before the decisive moment. He questioned why the referee chose that specific infringement rather than earlier incidents.
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy stated that much of the controversy stemmed from the fact Arsenal were involved in the title race. He maintained that the officials simply judged what they saw and that the foul on Raya was obvious.
Meanwhile, former West Ham goalkeeper Rob Green agreed the contact on the Arsenal goalkeeper amounted to a foul but also highlighted the broader issue of inconsistent refereeing throughout the season. Green said there were several fouls happening at once in the penalty area and argued that similar situations have repeatedly become a talking point involving Arsenal’s set-pieces.
