West Ham United intend to lodge a formal complaint with the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) over the decision to disallow Callum Wilson's goal during their Premier League match against Arsenal. The goal was ruled out after a VAR review deemed that Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya had been fouled by Pablo.
Club Seeks Clarity Over Controversial Decision
The club plans to contact the referees' body for clarity on why Pablo was penalised, although they accept the complaint is unlikely to change the outcome. West Ham are expected to request the audio between referee Chris Kavanagh and video assistant referee Darren England, who advised Kavanagh to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.
Inconsistency Concerns Raised
West Ham, who would have drawn level on points with 17th-placed Tottenham if the goal had stood and the match ended 1-1, are frustrated over what they perceive as a lack of consistency in penalising challenges at set pieces. Many former referees have supported the decision, stating that Kavanagh and England got the call correct.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB), football's lawmaking body, is expected to discuss how to better handle grappling during set plays in its next round of meetings starting in autumn.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised the officials as "very brave" and noted that the decision could determine "the history of two massive clubs that are fighting with their lives to achieve their objectives."
