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Arsenal moves 5 points clear of Manchester City as VAR cancels West Ham’s equaliser
10th May, 2026 09:07 PM
VAR had its biggest moment in Premier League history as Arsenal held on to beat West Ham 1-0 thanks to Callum Wilson’s 95th-minute equaliser being ruled out for a foul on David Raya.
Leandro Trossard’s late winner set the Gunners on course for a crucial win in the Premier League title race, but with time nearly up Wilson fired home from a corner to send the London Stadium into a frenzy.
VAR Spots Infringement
However, the VAR spotted the arm of West Ham’s Pablo across Raya’s neck as the Arsenal goalkeeper fumbled the initial delivery into the box. Referee Chris Kavanagh was sent to the monitor and disallowed the goal.
Had it stood, Wilson’s goal would have cut Arsenal’s lead at the top to three points, and Manchester City could have returned to the top of the table with a win in their game in hand over Crystal Palace on Wednesday.
But instead, Arsenal’s lead is at five points, and with relegated Burnley at home and a final day visit to Crystal Palace remaining this season – they have taken a big step to a first Premier League title in 22 years.
Injuries
West Ham, meanwhile, remain in the relegation zone, and Tottenham could go four points clear of them if they beat Leeds United.
It was a tricky afternoon for Arsenal for 83 minutes – mostly due to Mikel Arteta’s own doing. After a dominant start which saw Trossard hit the bar twice from the same corner, Riccardo Calafiori go close, it all threatened to unravel after Ben White’s injury.
Arteta brought on Martin Zubimendi – moving Declan Rice to right-back. But as West Ham grew into the game, Arteta reversed that decision at half-time, bringing Cristhian Mosquera on to move Rice back into midfield.
Then Arteta took Zubimendi off midway through the second half in another U-turn that led to West Ham getting even more confidence.
Even though Arsenal had more shots, the disjointed display nearly led to a West Ham opener when Fernandes went through on goal for West Ham in the area. Raya produced his stunning close-range stop, but that was not even his last big action of the game.
Trossard goal
Arsenal found a way in their biggest Premier League goal in 22 years. Some excellent interplay with Martin Odegaard saw him enter the penalty area and tee up Trossard who curled it in at the near post. The Arsenal away end went bedlam, as Arteta ran down the West Ham touchline.
But there would be more drama to come. A West Ham corner was flapped at by Raya and Wilson smashed home from the loose ball. Then the goal was ruled out – but the talking of this game is far from over.
