Jamie Carragher says the VAR decision to rule out West Ham’s late equaliser was correct and that many of the loudest critics are simply people who don’t want Arsenal to win the Premier League.
Referee Chris Kavanagh and VAR Darren England took four minutes and 17 seconds to overturn Callum Wilson’s goal at the London Stadium — a decision with big implications for both relegation and the title race. A point for West Ham would have kept them in the relegation zone while simultaneously giving Manchester City a lifeline in the title battle.
Carragher defended the officials on Monday Night Football, arguing the lengthy review was justified given what was at stake and the number of angles to consider. He said the referees reached the right conclusion: David Raya was impeded.
He suggested there are two main groups unhappy with the call: people with obvious affiliations to West Ham or Manchester City, and those who simply don’t want Arsenal to win the league. That, he said, explains much of the online uproar.
Carragher acknowledged that Arsenal often “push the boundaries” around set-pieces and defending in the box, which fuels resentment. But pushing boundaries isn’t the same as getting away with fouls, he added. In this incident he highlighted two key elements: Leandro Trossard holding Pablo Mari and a grab on Raya’s arm. It was the holding — a grip that prevented the goalkeeper from raising his hand — that, in Carragher’s view, made it a foul on the keeper.
He contrasted borderline contacts that wouldn’t normally lead to penalties with the difference here: grabbing and restricting the goalkeeper’s movement. Carragher admitted he’s been in similar situations and wouldn’t always want such incidents awarded as penalties, but maintained this one crossed the line because of the grip and the way it affected Raya.
He also pointed to previous, similar episodes involving Arsenal — Saliba competing for space with an opponent on the opening weekend, Gabriel’s close contact with a goalkeeper against Aston Villa, and Ben White’s hold at Leicester — to illustrate why fans react strongly when Arsenal are involved in these kinds of moments.
Finally, Carragher noted Arsenal’s tactical shift since losing to Man City: they’ve focused on defensive solidity and clean sheets. He argued that their title push has been built more on defensive resilience — goalkeeper, centre-backs and Declan Rice — than on flair in attack, and that the team have been hard to break down lately, conceding only a penalty in their last five matches.