Callum Wilson has made the comments after the West Ham forward’s goal against Arsenal was controversially ruled out by VAR, pointing out the inconsistency of refereeing.
Callum Wilson thought he had scored an equalizer for West Ham but was ruled out by VAR.
Callum Wilson has argued that the referee should have conceded the goal against Arsenal before VAR intervened, but the striker insisted “as long as we’re consistent there’s nothing to complain about” in a close game.
The West Ham forward scored an equalizer in stoppage time against the Gunners and believed it could have helped the Hammers’ survival ambitions and changed the course of the title race. The goal was initially awarded, but after a lengthy VAR check, it was ultimately disallowed due to a foul on David Raya.
Since the incident, opinions have been divided and debate has intensified. While many claim this is a foul, others claim that such incidents happen on every corner, every week. Arsenal are seen as pioneers in terms of benefiting from a more physical approach.
PGMOL president Howard Webb came out and explained why the foul was correct, but Wilson admitted his bias, felt there was a lack of consistency, and cited the number of fouls from one corner.
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“For me it’s against us, but are we saying it’s a foul? Maybe it is, but of course there have been similar incidents throughout the season,” he told Sky Sports.
“I don’t think anybody will complain if there’s consistency, and I think there were obviously other fouls in that incident five seconds ago. So if you’re going to bring one up, you’re going to have to bring all the fouls up. I think he probably should have just let it go and thought it was just a handbag in the box and what it is. But that wasn’t the case.”
“In the first one I scored a goal so I will say that (I should have stood), but in the second one I see a lot of teams these days in a similar situation blocking the goalkeeper in the box.
Pablo was penalized for a foul on David Raya (Image: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
“We analyzed Arsenal’s set-pieces before the game and there was a lot going on there. It’s not just what they say they’re doing, it’s everyone doing it.”
Wilson was alerted to a possible foul on Leandro Trossard, while Declan Rice was also holding down Konstantinos Mavropanos just behind Raya. The impact of the earthquake put Arsenal in pole position, ahead of Manchester City, as they aim to win the title for the first time in 22 years.
The full transcript between referee Chris Kavanagh and VAR officials at Stockley Park has now been released, with assistants advising that the incident be re-examined and ultimately ruled out.
In light of the incident, Webb insisted an analysis would be carried out to see if further action was needed regarding the set-piece foul. He said, “The number of contacts inside the penalty area this season is a little unique compared to previous seasons, which poses a challenge for referees.”
“We’re going to continue to consult with all of the people I mentioned earlier about the types of games they want to see, because we’re seeing set-piece coaches bringing players together in these areas and getting more involved for a little bit of profit.”
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