Mikel Arteta saw his Arsenal team close in on the Premier League title with a 1-0 win at West Ham after a refereeing decision he said could 'decide the history of two massive clubs'.
Dramatic Late Scenes
Leandro Trossard scored for Arsenal in the 83rd minute, moments after David Raya had produced a huge one-on-one save to deny the West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes. But the game will be remembered for what happened in the 95th minute when the West Ham substitute Callum Wilson thought he had equalised after a corner broke to him.
Instead, the video assistant referee, Darren England, spotted a foul by Pablo on Raya and after Chris Kavanagh was sent to the pitchside monitor to scrutinise 17 replays, the goal was ruled out.
Title Race Implications
It meant Arsenal went five points clear of Manchester City at the top, having played an extra game, while West Ham stayed in the final relegation place, one point behind Tottenham, having played a match more. Arsenal and West Ham each have two league games remaining.
Arteta's Reaction
'It was in the most chaotic circumstances when two teams are playing for their lives,' Arteta said of the disallowed goal. 'It's a call from the refs that I think is very brave but very consistent with what they've been talking about all season. When I have to be critical, I have been. Today, I have to praise them, at least for giving the option to a referee to decide – away from the lights and the chaos, to give clarity to him to make the right call. And when you look at the action in that way, I think it is an obvious error. The goal has to be disallowed. So congratulations because they made a big call in very, very difficult circumstances.'
'Probably today I have realised how difficult and how big is the referee's job. Because you're talking about a moment that can decide the history, the course, of two massive clubs that are fighting with their lives to achieve their objectives.'
West Ham's Frustration
The West Ham manager, Nuno Espírito Santo, was surprisingly calm; in no mood for outspoken comments. He promised his team would 'fight until the last second' of the season as he lamented the inconsistency of refereeing. 'All of us don't understand what is a foul,' Nuno said. 'Even the referees confuse themselves. Sometimes, it is; sometimes, it is not. It is upsetting and frustrating for us today. It's a lack of consistency. It seems like the rules have changed. The Premier League have to solve it. They have to come to the clubs and explain because everybody is confused.'
