West Ham United vs Arsenal
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West Ham United Requests Audio of Referee Conversation Over Disallowed Goal Against Arsenal
The Hammers refuse to accept the decision as final.
West Ham United is set to contact the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMO) regarding the late equalizer that was disallowed against Arsenal on Sunday in the 36th round of the Premier League.
Struggling to avoid relegation, West Ham scored a goal in the 90+5th minute against Arsenal, who are fiercely competing for the Premier League title. However, the referee overturned the goal after a VAR review, ruling a foul against Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.
The match ended with a 1-0 victory for Arsenal, bringing them one step closer to their first league title since 2004, while West Ham now finds itself on the brink of relegation to the Championship.
According to BBC Sport, West Ham will seek further clarification from the PGMO following the controversial decision. The club will also request the audio recording of the conversation between on-field referee Chris Kavanagh and VAR official Darren England.
The Premier League issued an official statement after the match, stating: “After a VAR review, the referee overturned the original decision to award a goal to West Ham United. Referee’s announcement: After review, West Ham United No. 19 (Fornals) committed a foul against the goalkeeper. Final decision: Direct free kick.”
Following this hard-fought victory, Arsenal sits atop the Premier League table with 79 points, five points ahead of second-placed Manchester City, who have a postponed match against Crystal Palace on Wednesday.
Arsenal has only two matches remaining: against Burnley, who have already been relegated to the Championship, and Crystal Palace. Meanwhile, Manchester City will face Bournemouth and Aston Villa in their final two fixtures.
On the other hand, this loss pushes West Ham closer to relegation to the Championship. Their points tally remains at 36, placing them 18th. If Tottenham Hotspur, currently in 17th place, wins against Leeds United on Monday, they will extend their lead over West Ham to four points.