“There was no evidence” — Former Premier League Referee on why Arsenal lost

Controversy marred West Ham’s opener against Arsenal as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) opted not to overturn Tomas Soucek’s goal despite apparent indications that the ball had gone out of play in the build-up.

Soucek found the net in the 13th minute off a delivery from Jarrod Bowen, setting the Hammers in front against Arsenal. However, the goal was shadowed by contention as it was granted after an extensive VAR review.

The VAR assessment involved scrutiny of two angles before concluding that the goal should be allowed to stand.

Mark Clattenberg, a former Premier League referee, shared his insights on Amazon Prime, noting,

“The on-field decision is a goal, so they have to find conclusive evidence that the ball has gone out of play. From the angles I have seen, the ball looks to be slightly in play.”

Clattenberg continued, highlighting the challenges faced by match officials, stating,

“There’s no other decision the match officials can give. The assistant referee, who is on the goal line, cannot see clearly if the ball has gone out of play.

“The on-field decision is a goal. When you look at all the evidence, we cannot be 100 per cent certain that the ball has gone out.”