Arteta Lauds Brave Referee For Ruling Out Late West Ham Equaliser

Arsenal strengthened the push for the Premier League title with a tense 1-0 win at West Ham, moving five points clear of Manchester City. Leandro Trossard struck late at London Stadium, before a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser from Callum Wilson was overturned after a long VAR review.

The decisive incident came deep into added time, when West Ham thought Wilson had levelled in the 95th minute. VAR advised referee Chris Kavanagh to review the build-up, and the goal was then ruled out for a foul by Pablo on Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya at the initial corner.

Mikel Arteta praised the officials for overturning the late West Ham goal, stressing the difficulty of that judgement. Arteta felt the replays left no doubt that Raya had been fouled and highlighted the importance of consistency with such decisions during a tight Premier League title race.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has won 17 fouls in the Premier League this season, more than any other goalkeeper. Raya is next on 13, underlining how often opponents challenge during set-pieces. Arteta believed this latest call protected goalkeepers within the existing laws of the game.

Arteta described the afternoon as emotionally draining after a tight contest against a relegation-threatened side. Arsenal created three major chances early on but then lost Ben White to injury, which forced a defensive reshuffle. Arteta said Arsenal still committed fully to attack and were eventually rewarded.

Arsenal’s winner arrived at 82 minutes and six seconds, when Trossard finished to break West Ham’s resistance. It was Arsenal’s latest goal in a 1-0 Premier League victory since November 2023, when Kai Havertz scored an 89th-minute decider against Brentford during another tense away match.

Arsenal Premier League title prospects rated by data and players

The Opta supercomputer now estimates Arsenal’s chance of securing a first Premier League title since 2004 at 87.2%. This win extended Arsenal’s current league run to three straight victories, the longest active winning sequence in the division after another efficient defensive display.

Trossard, who ended a run of 14 Premier League appearances without scoring, underlined how much the result meant. Trossard said Arsenal arrived knowing only three points were acceptable and acknowledged the intensity of West Ham’s effort, given the hosts’ battle to avoid relegation.

Trossard added that the squad fully understands what is at stake over the remaining fixtures. Arsenal now have two very important league games ahead and, according to Trossard, believe the title is achievable if the same work rate, focus and resilience are maintained in the coming matches.