Peter Schmeichel expressed his fury over the decision to rule out West Ham’s stoppage-time equalizer against Arsenal, insisting that the Gunners “would never be leading the table if that’s considered a free-kick.”
The dramatic finale at the London Stadium on Sunday saw Callum Wilson’s late goal disallowed following a foul on Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, confirmed after an extended VAR check.
As a result, Arsenal now sit just two wins away from their first Premier League title in 22 years, while West Ham remain one point above the relegation zone, with Tottenham playing their game in hand against Leeds later today.
David Raya was deemed to have been fouled after a lengthy VAR review (Getty)
The VAR decision sparked inevitable debate afterward, with former Premier League assistant Darren Caan suggesting it’s time for a rule change regarding six-yard box incidents at corners. However, Schmeichel, an ex-Manchester United goalkeeper, did not side with Raya in this instance.
“That call today is just wrong on so many levels,” Schmeichel told Viaplay after the match. “What truly angers me is that Arsenal would never be top of the league if that’s a free-kick. That’s exactly how they’ve scored numerous goals—by blocking, holding, and doing all sorts of things. And then we arrive at this point. It takes VAR five minutes.
“Darren England, the VAR official—he takes five minutes, replaying it over and over. That itself casts immense doubt on the decision. It cannot be a free-kick, absolutely not.
“I think it’s deeply flawed. I just don’t understand why, all of a sudden, that becomes a free-kick when it hasn’t been called for any team throughout the entire season. This is all just madness, and today’s decision is incorrect on every level.”
Former Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given, speaking on Match of the Day, shared a similar viewpoint.
“What bothers me is that we’ve seen numerous times this season with Arsenal where goalkeepers and defenders are blocked off, yet the goal stands,” he said.
Peter Schmeichel disagreed with the decision to disallow West Ham’s equalizer (Getty Images)
“Everyone is frustrated about the inconsistency of refereeing decisions. Why are some goals allowed to stand while this one was ruled out? There’s so much at stake at both ends of the table.
“Additionally, Gabriel is holding, Odegaard is holding, Trossard is holding—even before the foul on Raya occurs. When does the referee decide which foul to penalize and not the preceding one?”
On the other hand, pundits including Roy Keane, Wayne Rooney, Ian Wright, Rob Green, and Danny Murphy believed the correct call was made. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta described the decision as “brave,” given the high stakes for both sides.
Rooney told the BBC’s Wayne Rooney Show: “It’s a clear foul. You can clearly see the arm crosses his face and affects his ability to reach the ball. So I think it’s the right call. This is one time when I actually believe VAR did a really good job in such a crucial match.”
Arsenal next face Burnley on Monday, followed by a final-day clash at Crystal Palace. West Ham, meanwhile, travel to Newcastle next Saturday.