Jamie Carragher believes that the only people questioning the VAR decision to rule out West Ham’s equaliser against Arsenal are those who simply don’t want the Gunners to lift the Premier League title.
On Sunday at the London Stadium, referee Chris Kavanagh and VAR official Darren England spent four minutes and 17 seconds disallowing Callum Wilson’s last-gasp goal for a foul on Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya. The call, which Gary Neville labeled the biggest in VAR history, had massive implications at both ends of the table. Had the goal stood, West Ham would have climbed level with 17th-placed Tottenham on points, while Manchester City would’ve had a chance to move level on points with Arsenal and bring goal difference into play for the title race with two weeks left.
Speaking on Monday Night Football, Carragher defended the officials and dismissed the uproar. “Forget the clear and obvious part. It took that long because there were so many elements to review. Given the pressure of what this decision meant — not just for these two clubs, but for Man City and Tottenham as well — nobody should complain about the time it took. Did they get the right decision? Yes.”
He added: “There are two groups of people who thought that wasn’t a foul: those associated with Man City or West Ham, and those who just don’t want Arsenal to win the league. That’s why there’s been so much noise. This is a football club that pushes the boundaries in every area to gain an advantage — whether it’s putting 15 players in the six-yard box on set pieces, having the manager stand on the edge of the touchline to distract the opposition, or Gabriel going down at every contact. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a foul. It is a foul.”
Carragher acknowledged that holding and pulling jerseys happen in every box throughout every Premier League game. He pointed to Leandro Trossard’s arm around the West Ham player, which ultimately led to the foul on the goalkeeper. “Is it enough for a foul? It was deemed so, and that’s the correct call — even if some don’t want to admit it.”
However, the pundit stressed that Arsenal’s tactical approach is nothing new. “This all started two or three years ago when Arsenal began loading the six-yard box. Whether you like it or not, they test the limits week in, week out. But that doesn’t mean the decision was wrong.”
