Wayne Rooney, the former Manchester United forward, has stated that West Ham United’s late equalizer against Arsenal on Sunday was correctly ruled out by both the referee and VAR. Callum Wilson scored deep into stoppage time, seemingly earning a point at London Stadium, but referee Chris Kavanagh reversed his on-field call after VAR instructed him to review the monitor. Kavanagh determined that West Ham forward Pablo fouled Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya while the keeper attempted to collect a corner kick.
“I think it’s a clear foul,” Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show. “Many people argue it probably should have stood, and because it’s controversial, Manchester City players, staff, and fans will say it should have stood, while Tottenham fans, staff, and players will say it shouldn’t. But it’s a clear foul – you can clearly see his [Pablo’s] arm across Raya’s face, and that prevented him from reaching the ball, so I think it was the right decision.”
Arsenal’s victory widened their lead to five points over Manchester City in the Premier League title race, while West Ham remain in the relegation zone, one point behind Tottenham.
Rooney added: “This is one time I actually think VAR did a really good job in such an important match. I didn’t consider it a difficult call; it was straightforward. I understand its significance, but you can’t let that influence you – you just have to call it as it is, and it was a foul.”
