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Arteta and Nuno disagree on VAR controversy at West Ham
11th May, 2026 01:20 PM
Mikel Arteta has praised the bravery shown by match officials after ruling out West Ham’s dramatic late equaliser in Arsenal’s 1-0 win at the London Stadium.
Callum Wilson thought he had rescued a point in the 95th minute for 18th-placed West Ham until a lengthy VAR check ensued and replays showed Hammers striker Pablo had his arm across David Raya, leading to the goalkeeper fumbling the initial delivery.
Referee Chris Kavanagh was then advised to check the on-field monitor before eventually disallowing the goal. Two minutes and 35 seconds passed between the ball crossing the line and the referee being sent to review the incident.
Kavanagh watched 17 replays in total, and overall, it took four minutes and 17 seconds to come to a decision.
Arsenal on top
Arsenal’s narrow lead remained intact as a result, sending them five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table with two games to go, while West Ham missed out on a crucial point that would have moved them level on points with Tottenham in 17th.
“When I had to be critical, I have been,” Arteta told Sky Sports. “Today I have to congratulate them [VAR].
Arsenal’s narrow lead remained intact as a result, sending them five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table with two games to go, while West Ham missed out on a crucial point, which would have moved them level on points with Tottenham in 17th.
Consistency
“When I had to be critical, I have been,” Arteta told Sky Sports. “Today, I have to congratulate them [VAR].
“You needed a lot of courage and bravery to stand out and give the opportunity to the referee to have a look at the action.
“When you see the picture, there is no question that it is a clear foul. They were very brave.
“The action deserved that. In my opinion, it is very clear. They are the rules, and we ask for consistency.”
Seeking clarity
West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo was hesitant to comment on the incident but did question what he sees as a lack of clarity regarding what is considered a foul.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “Due to the circumstances and the way it finished, we are all upset.
“Look, there is a referee and VAR; there are circumstances in the past that have been judged differently. Let’s not go further than that.
“Due to the recent seasons, it has been happening [similar incidents]. Even the referees don’t know what is a foul and what is not a foul. It creates doubt.
“Let’s look at the game overall. We made a very good match. Arsenal is a tough team. We lost the game.”
This comes as the relegation-threatened club revealed it will be lodging complaints with the Premier League referee body PGMO over the decision to disallow the goal
