Ex-PGMOL chief responds instantly to West Ham submitting formal complaint over Arsenal controversy
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Credit: Imago, Sky Sports PL Ex-PGMOL chief responds instantly to West Ham submitting formal complaint over Arsenal controversy Mon 11 May 2026 10:00, UK West Ham United are reportedly set to lodge a formal complaint over the decision to rule out their late equaliser against Arsenal on Sunday. But after a lengthy review, VAR Darren England sent Chris Kavanagh to the pitch-side monitor to look at Pablo holding onto the arm of David Raya, with the referee taking a long look before chalking off the goal.Nuno Espirito Santo and the West Ham players were left up in arms about the decision, which has provoked huge discussion across the Premier League. ⚽West Ham United Matchday⚽ Team news, line-ups, expert previews and tactical analysis for every West Ham fixture.
VISIT THE WEST HAM MATCH HUB MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Keith Hackett dismisses West Ham complaintFormer PGMOL chief Keith Hackett was critical of VAR for intervening as Arsenal were denied a penalty in Madrid last month, but he was happy with Sunday’s decision. The officials made in the West Ham United versus Arsenal game the correct call in law.Either you hate watch Arsenal or not, that’s a clear foul on David Raya.
It was compounded by a shirt pull at the same time.“Perhaps football, through the owners, managers, coaches and players, will, alongside the PGMOL, take appropriate action to stop the tactics of grappling inside the penalty area and return our game to its origins rather than moving in the direction of Rugby or WWE Wrestling.”What Nuno Espirito Santo and Mikel Arteta saidThe decision to disallow West Ham’s goal has been described as the biggest VAR intervention since its introduction in 2019. It is just the lack of consistency in the last few seasons.”"You have to go in chronological order""If it's not a foul on the goalkeeper, I think that's definitely a penalty"Dermot Gallagher says the decision to overturn West Ham's equaliser against Arsenal was the right call ✅ pic.twitter.com/FtmnjBTBPX— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 11, 2026 View Tweet Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, obviously, had a different point of view.