The Gunners’ title charge was strengthened by a goal called back, in a perfect encapsulation of what modern soccer has become
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corner. A melee. Bodies everywhere. Blocks and tugs, pulls and shoves. A VAR decision. Fury. Empty noise. A title perhaps decided; a significant impact on the relegation battle. Shouting. Confused pundits ranting. Social media figures rallying to the side they were always going to take. Welcome to modern soccer.
After what looked like an injury-time equaliser for West Ham was ruled out on Sunday, Arsenal now need only to beat Burnley and Crystal Palace to be sure of their first Premier League title in 22 years. In the relegation scrap, West Ham are a point behind Tottenham, who play at home to Leeds, now safe, on Monday evening. But the big issue is a VAR decision. Of course it is: this is 2025-26.
Let’s begin with the basic point. Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya was fouled, if not by Pablo then certainly by Jean-Clair Todibo, who pulled his shirt. West Ham (and Manchester City by extension) could feel aggrieved had the potential equaliser been ruled out for the way Pablo’s arm stretched across Raya’s neck, which looked far worse in a still or slowed down image than it did it real time, where it became apparent that Pablo was bracing himself as Leandro Trossard barrelled into him, and Raya had run into him. But the Todibo pull is clear, and referees love shirt-pulls because they are definitive. A shirt was pulled: it was a foul, and so the goal was rightly disallowed.
