There’s a certain irony that Arsenal, who have mastered the dark arts of set-pieces this season, saw West Ham denied a goal by VAR for a foul on goalkeeper David Raya.
This Premier League season has been marked by set-piece drama—not just the goals themselves, but the constant grappling, pushing, pulling, and wrestling. The chaos reached a peak in February when around 15 Manchester United and Everton players packed into the six-yard box before the ball was even in play. Players were thrown to the floor. It was carnage.
“You get the feeling now that referees really don’t want to get involved in any of it,” Everton manager David Moyes said.
But this isn’t just a Premier League issue. BBC Sport recently attended an event with UEFA’s head of referees, Roberto Rosetti. His first focus was on goalkeepers being pressured at set-pieces. Arsenal have been the kings of that, crowding and surrounding keepers at corners, creating space to score.
Fast forward to a defining moment on Sunday, which had major implications for Arsenal’s title hopes and West Ham’s survival chances. Pushing and pulling were everywhere, but Pablo was penalized for a foul on Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya. The VAR intervened to disallow the goal, and Arsenal claimed a crucial 1-0 win.
Given Arsenal’s set-piece prowess this season—21 of their 68 league goals (31%) have come from such situations—it’s ironic that a defining moment came from an opposition goal being ruled out.
Breaking down the disallowed goal, and the five ‘fouls’ in the build-up
Jarrod Bowen stood over the ball by the corner flag. As he delivered the cross, chaos erupted in the penalty area. A melee ensued before Callum Wilson blasted the ball over the line. Salvation for the Hammers? Enter the video assistant referee, Darren England.
You cannot blame the VAR for taking his time. This was a huge moment, with five potential fouls buried among the bodies. Whatever decision England made would be intensely scrutinized.
Let’s break it down step-by-step, considering each potential foul and what the VAR would be looking for.
**Soucek on Havertz**
This was the first potential incident. Tomas Soucek climbed over the back of Kai Havertz at the near post. As the ball arrived, the Arsenal forward ended up on the floor with Soucek on top. The VAR would note that the players were not near where the ball was going to land—Havertz was not prevented from playing it. Soucek faced the ball, which also goes in his favor. Overall, the VAR would have allowed this to go.
**Odegaard on Todibo**
A straightforward situation. Martin Odegaard and Jean-Clair Todibo were engaged in mutual holding. When both players are holding, no one party is judged to be committing an offense—they are equally at fault. Odegaard had an arm around Todibo’s waist, while Todibo had an arm around the Norway international’s shoulder.
**Trossard on Pablo**
Leandro Trossard and Pablo started battling just outside the six-yard box as the ball was kicked. They held each other initially, then Pablo tried to make a run toward goal. At that moment, Trossard, with his back to play, grabbed Pablo around the waist. Based on what we have seen this season, it was not enough to warrant a foul.
