Arsenal moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League after a dramatic and controversial 1-0 victory over West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday evening.
The Gunners looked set to settle for a frustrating goalless draw before Leandro Trossard broke the deadlock with a deflected strike seven minutes from full time. But the biggest talking point came deep into stoppage time when West Ham thought they had snatched an equaliser.
Callum Wilson fired home after Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya fumbled the ball under pressure from West Ham’s Pablo. However, referee Chris Kavanagh, after a long consultation with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), ruled out the goal. Officials judged that Pablo had made contact with Raya’s chest, even though the foul appeared minimal.
West Ham players surrounded the referee in protest, while Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was seen clenching his fists in relief on the touchline.
“We are very disappointed,” a West Ham source said after the match. “There was very little contact. The decision took ages, which tells you it was not clear and obvious.”
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard disagreed. “The goalkeeper was blocked. That is the rule. We defended well all night and deserved the three points.”
The result leaves Arsenal on the brink of their first English league title in 22 years. With two matches remaining—against Burnley and Crystal Palace—the Gunners need just two more wins to guarantee the championship.
Second-placed Manchester City, who beat Brentford 3-0 on Saturday, can close the gap to two points if they win their game in hand against Crystal Palace on Wednesday.
Trossard’s goal came from a clever team move. Odegaard played a neat one-two with Declan Rice before sliding the ball to the Belgian winger, whose shot from 12 yards took a heavy deflection past West Ham goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.
Before that, West Ham had pushed Arsenal close. Raya produced a brilliant save to deny Mateus Fernandes from five yards, sticking out his boot to keep the ball out. Valentin Castellanos also almost scored just before halftime with a diving header that Raya stopped at full stretch.
Arsenal also suffered an injury blow when defender Ben White limped off midway through the first half. That forced Rice to drop from midfield into an unfamiliar right-back role, and Arsenal lost control of the game until Arteta sent on defender Cristhian Mosquera at the break to free Rice back into midfield.
For West Ham, the defeat keeps them in third-from-bottom position, one point behind fourth-bottom Tottenham. Spurs can boost their survival hopes on Monday when they face Leeds United.
Arsenal are also chasing a historic double. The team has already reached their first Champions League final since 2006—beating Atletico Madrid in the semifinals—and will face Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest on May 30.
Thierry Henry, a legend of Arsenal’s unbeaten “Invincibles” team that last won the title in 2003-04, recently said Arteta’s current squad would be remembered as the “unforgettables” if they lift both trophies.
If Arsenal hold on to win the league, Sunday’s VAR decision at the London Stadium may be remembered as the moment the title race turned decisively in their favour.
