West Ham United captain Jarrod Bowen has voiced his frustration over the decision to disallow Callum Wilson’s goal against Arsenal on Sunday, questioning the lack of “consistency” in refereeing during corner situations.
Wilson thought he had equalized in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time, striking a half-volley after a West Ham corner fell to him. Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya attempted to gather or punch the ball but spilled it, and William Saliba’s clearance landed at Wilson’s feet.
Raya and his Arsenal teammates argued that they had been fouled while jumping for the ball. The incident was reviewed by Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Darren England, who recommended an on-field review for match official Chris Kavanagh.
After a four-minute delay, Kavanagh ruled that West Ham’s Pablo had obstructed Raya with his right arm while contesting for the ball, and the goal was disallowed.
Arsenal held on for a 1-0 win, taking a major step toward their first Premier League title since 2004. West Ham remained in the relegation zone in 18th place, one point behind Tottenham Hotspur, who face Leeds United on Monday. The defeat confirmed that Leeds and Nottingham Forest are safe from relegation, meaning either West Ham or Spurs will join Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley in the Championship.
After the match, Bowen expressed his annoyance with the VAR decision.
“It’s a real blow. We thought we’d done well to get back into it, and then it was taken away from us,” the 29-year-old told BBC Sport. “When you look at the screen for five minutes, you’ll find something—there’s a lot of grappling and holding. I’m sure if you look long enough, you’ll find something. Do I think it’s the right decision? No.
“Where is the consistency? As a fan, you don’t want to celebrate a goal and then wait eight minutes to have it taken away.
“Corners are physical. The Premier League is physical. That’s why everyone loves it. You have to expect contact at corners. If you give that, you have to give all the holding calls in the world, and that’s not how people want the game to go.
“I don’t want to sound bitter, but last week we had one with Tomas Soucek being held at Brentford, and we didn’t get a penalty. Yet today, a call like that is given.”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta defended the VAR decision after the match, calling it “brave.”
“It’s a call from the refs that I think is very brave, but very consistent with what they’ve been talking about all season. When I have to be critical, I have been,” he said. “Today I have to praise them, at least for giving the option to a referee to decide. Away from the lights and the chaos, to give clarity to him to make the right call. And when you look at the action that way, I think it’s an obvious error.
“It’s a free kick, and the goal has to be disallowed. So congratulations because they made a big call in very, very difficult circumstances.”
West Ham travel to Newcastle United next Sunday and host Leeds on the final day. Arsenal welcome Burnley on May 18 before heading to Crystal Palace six days later.