The officials overseeing Arsenal’s 2-0 loss to West Ham informed Mikel Arteta that VAR couldn’t determine whether the ball had left the field before the controversial first goal for the Hammers.
During Thursday’s match, Tomas Soucek netted for David Moyes’ team in the 13th minute, converting Jarrod Bowen’s low cross. Later in the second half, ex-Arsenal defender Konstantinos Mavropanos secured West Ham’s victory with a header off the crossbar.
Despite having 77 touches in the opposition area, the most for a Premier League club in 15 years without scoring, Arsenal couldn’t stage a comeback.
However, the controversy arose around West Ham’s opening goal, as VAR couldn’t verify if the ball had crossed the line before Bowen’s cross. The technology lacked a clear camera view to definitively determine the ball’s position, leading to the decision to allow the goal to stand.
Arteta expressed frustration with the technology’s lack of clarity, citing the officials’ explanation post-match, stating, “They just said that the image was inconclusive. It’s regrettable that our current technology isn’t clear enough to make a definitive ruling.”
Meanwhile, former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg highlighted the limitations, saying, “The assistant referee couldn’t clearly see if the ball was out of play on the goal line. The decision made on the field stands, as there isn’t enough data to confirm the ball’s position.”
