By Karan Prashant Saxena; Reuters.
Photo Credit:@premierleague.
West Ham United captain Jarrod Bowen questioned the consistency of VAR reviews after Callum Wilson’s stoppage-time equaliser against Arsenal on Sunday was controversially ruled out.
Wilson fired home in a goalmouth scramble following a corner but his effort was disallowed for a foul on Arsenal keeper David Raya after a lengthy VAR check.
“When you look at the screen for five minutes you’ll find something – a lot of grappling and a lot of holding,” Bowen told the BBC. “I’m sure if you look long enough you’ll find something. Do I think it’s the right decision? No.
“Where’s the consistency? As a fan you don’t want to celebrate a goal and then wait eight minutes and it’s taken off you.”
Arsenal have previously faced criticism for crowding goalkeepers at corners, while Bowen also pointed to a decision earlier this month when West Ham were denied a penalty during a 3-0 loss at Brentford after Tomas Soucek was held in the box.
“Corners are physical. The Premier League is physical. That’s why everyone loves it,” Bowen added.
“You have to expect contact at corners. If you give that you have to give all the holding calls in the world and that’s not the way people want the game to go down.”
The defeat left West Ham 18th in the league, one point from safety, while Arsenal extended their lead to five points over Manchester City.
VAR has come under intense scrutiny this season, with a survey by a football supporters group in March showing 75% of Premier League fans do not support the continued use of the system.
The Premier League says VAR has led to more accurate outcomes while remaining less disruptive than in other European competitions.