Arsenal took a huge step towards their first Premier League title since 2004 with a 1-0 win at West Ham United, but only after they survived a huge late VAR scare against the relegation-haunted Hammers.
With The Gunners playing out the final minutes of seven added following Leandro Trossard’s 83rd-minute opener, West Ham sub Callum Wilson thought he had struck the equaliser after firing into the net from a loose ball in a packed box following a corner.
But VAR was forced to intervene after referee Chris Kavanagh initially gave the goal as the Hammers fans celebrated wildly.
With the match official ushered to the monitor, Kavanagh took a few minutes to study the footage before agreeing with the assertion that Wilson’s fellow sub Pablo had been impeding Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya from reaching the ball despite several fouls going unchecked at the same time.
It was potentially a season-defining call and one that might be the crucial moment in the title race, with Raya also providing a massive moment with a sublime point-blank save from Mateus Fernandes seconds before Trossard slammed home Martin Odegaard’s pass.
Trossard’s header also hit the bar in the first half, but his deflected winner keeps Arsenal on course for a historic Premier League and UEFA Champions League double.
They are five points clear of Manchester City and will lift the title if they defeat relegated Burnley at home next Monday and win at Crystal Palace on the final day of the season in a fortnight.
Meanwhile, Nuno Espirito Santo’s spirited West Ham remain 18th in the table, a point behind Tottenham, who host Leeds United on Monday night aiming to ease their relegation fears in moving four ahead of The Hammers following their 2-1 win at Aston Villa last weekend.
