It has been confirmed that the ball was in for Tomas Soucek’s controversial goal against Arsenal on Thursday afternoon. West Ham won 2-0, with goals from Soucek and a second-half goal from Konstantinos Mavropanos. However, Soucek’s goal was disputed, as VAR could not determine whether the ball had gone into the net before Jarrod Bowen’s foul.
This was not the first time the Gunners had problems with VAR, as Anthony Gordon’s goal in Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat last month was overturned in similar circumstances. However, Richard Keys and Andy Gray confirmed that the ball was indeed in play on Soucek’s goal, claiming that there was “compelling” evidence after analyzing the footage live on BeIN Sports.
Gray commented on the incident: “They were able to take that action and put the ball in the perfect circle. Some of the ball was visible, so they decided to make the ball exactly the size it should have been, and that proved conclusively that the ball was inside.
Gray defended VAR, stating that it was a difficult decision due to the ball being in the air. He said, ‘I think the Newcastle one was easier to judge because the ball was on the ground. The line was actually next to the football. The ball was in the air. That makes it more difficult to assess.
Gray concluded by stating that Bowen, in no way, thought that the ball was actually in play when he committed the foul. The former footballer said, “When you see how small a part of the ball is actually on the line, it would surprise me if Bowen thought the ball was in play. He wouldn’t have known that there was only a tiny, tiny part of the ball on the line.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was not happy with VAR and expressed his disappointment in the evening. He said, “If the technology we have at the moment is not good enough to give us that answer (whether the ball was out), we have to win the game without it.
“I didn’t see that. They say it is not conclusive. It’s a pity that with the technology we have, it’s not so clear that we can say whether the ball is outside or inside. It’s finished. It’s gone. There is nothing we can do now.
Arsenal, who recorded 30 shots compared to West Ham’s six, have collected only four points in their last four league games.