Arsenal survived late controversy at the London Stadium as West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen launched a furious attack on VAR following the Hammers’ heartbreaking 1-0 defeat.
The drama unfolded deep into stoppage time when Callum Wilson appeared to rescue a precious point for West Ham with a 95th-minute equaliser.
The home crowd erupted, believing the Hammers had snatched a lifeline in their fight against relegation. But celebrations were cut short.
After a lengthy VAR review, referee Chris Kavanagh was sent to the pitchside monitor and eventually ruled the goal out for a foul by Pablo on Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya during the build-up.
That decision allowed Arsenal to walk away with all three points after Leandro Trossard’s deflected strike in the 83rd minute proved decisive.
Bowen did not hide his frustration after the final whistle, questioning the consistency of officiating and the growing influence of VAR on key moments in football.
“We feel hard done by, of course,” Bowen told Sky Sports. “Football is about emotion and big moments. We thought we had ours at the end.”
The West Ham skipper also criticised the extended review process, suggesting officials searched too hard for an infringement.
“If you look at something for five minutes, you’ll always find something.
“Goalkeepers get more protection than outfield players. There’s contact in every box during corners, so where do you draw the line?”
Bowen insisted the contact on Raya was part of the physical nature of Premier League football and argued similar incidents regularly go unpunished.
“You can’t completely wipe a goalkeeper out, but there’s always going to be contact. It’s the Premier League,” he added.
The England international also referenced a previous incident against Brentford where Tomas Soucek was denied a penalty despite apparent holding inside the area.
“If you’re going to give those decisions, then give them every week. Fans, pundits, players — everyone just wants consistency,” Bowen continued.
The defeat leaves West Ham 18th in the Premier League standings, still one point behind Tottenham, who are set to face Leeds on Monday night.
For Arsenal, it was another gritty win in their push at the top end of the table. For West Ham, however, the night ended in frustration, controversy, and more questions surrounding VAR.
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