VAR

[NilSatisOptimum]

In isolation it's a foul. In context of what this PL season has looked like I'm not really sure it is a foul. In context of how VAR usually operates I'm not sure it should have been overturned to a foul. In the context of what Arsenal specifically have been allowed to get away with on their attacking set pieces over the course of this season it's a travesty that the title is probably being swung in their favor on that decision.

But ultimately.... it's a foul based on how the game is supposed to operate. I just wish the PL was run in a way that allowed the game to operate how it is supposed to more often. I know the referees are heinous and that's a big part of it. The players and the clubs conduct themselves in horribly unsporting fashion so often that I'm also just not sure what referees are even meant to do. The lack of respect for the refs, for opponents and for the game itself is appalling.

VAR works perfectly.

Its there to push the dial towards favorable desired outcomes. Both in result and talking points after game.

Thats entertainment!

 

[tonyhorne]

I thought all the other grappling and holding weren't enough to warrant a foul

How much grappling and holding is allowed in the rules of association football?

 

[arch stanton]

Without comparing it to anything else, it’s a clear foul, the goal doesn’t happen without the foul, and it’s what VAR is designed for.

which foul tho, I can see a few going both ways.

 

[ToffeeTim]

I just don't understand how you can give a soft foul on a goalkeeper when there is also a rugby tackle by a defensive player 2 yards away

 

[davids]

When a goal is disallowed because a forward had less than half of his standing foot ahead of the last defender it's got beyond ridiculous.

 

[banno]

To me it was a foul. Attacker had arm across keeper holding keepers left arm and another attacker was pulling the keepers shirt from behind. Two West Ham players impeding the keeper at the same time and the sole reason the keeper could not claim or clear the ball away.

 

[JordanianEmbassy]

When a goal is disallowed because a forward had less than half of his standing foot ahead of the last defender it's got beyond ridiculous.

Agree. And the graphic they show you never shows when the ball was played anyway, so it proves absolutely nothing. Its a farce.

(and how do you calculate exact moment the ball was played anyway? - is it when the last atom of the football is in contact with the players foot?)

 

[MACCA75]

Had a chance to get rid, and only Wolves voted in favour..

 

[jazzy]

Without comparing it to anything else, it’s a clear foul, the goal doesn’t happen without the foul, and it’s what VAR is designed for.

Correct.....if you ignore the prior holding and rugby tackling by Arsenal players

 

[Lanolin]

Correct.....if you ignore the prior holding and rugby tackling by Arsenal players

It would still be a foul though. You can't just say the two cancel eachother out, you'd basically have to disallow the goal and give a penalty. Personally I didn't think the holding was enough for a penalty in the current climate, not saying it shouldn't be a pen in theory but you see worse in literally every game at the moment.

 

[RD2910]

Agree. And the graphic they show you never shows when the ball was played anyway, so it proves absolutely nothing. Its a farce.

(and how do you calculate exact moment the ball was played anyway? - is it when the last atom of the football is in contact with the players foot?)

If you want offside decisions to be amazingly pernickety, then the semi-automated technology is really good at doing it. Obviously much, much better than a referee drawing mad lines. Do you think they're purposefully messing with the results to form the decision they want?

 

[jazzy]

It would still be a foul though. You can't just say the two cancel eachother out, you'd basically have to disallow the goal and give a penalty. Personally I didn't think the holding was enough for a penalty in the current climate, not saying it shouldn't be a pen in theory but you see worse in literally every game at the moment.

Agreed. The goal should have been disallowed and a penalty awarded.

 

[JordanianEmbassy]

If you want offside decisions to be amazingly pernickety, then the semi-automated technology is really good at doing it. Obviously much, much better than a referee drawing mad lines. Do you think they're purposefully messing with the results to form the decision they want?

I'm not sure about that. I just think the graphics they show us are useless and prove nothing, and judging people to be offset by 1mm isn't in the spirit of the game anyway - but ultimately thats all irrelevant because VAR just stinks full stop. The bottom line is it ruins the entertainment (especially bad in the stadium).

There are a load of other arguments as to why it isn't suitable for football anyway, ie even if it gets every review "correct" it hasn't necessarily made the game fairer because it can't review all the things that happen whilst the game is flowing - but it ruins the entertainment so much it almost isn't worth getting into that.

 

[DOMNOLAN]

To me it was a foul. Attacker had arm across keeper holding keepers left arm and another attacker was pulling the keepers shirt from behind. Two West Ham players impeding the keeper at the same time and the sole reason the keeper could not claim or clear the ball away.

The goal can’t stand, fine. So why not bring it back and give a penalty to West Ham? The fouls on them were far more egregious AND happened first.

 

[Shibbywiggles]

I think it probably is a foul but the problem is the consistency

Arsenal themselves have been bullying keepers from corners all season, there’s a cracking still of Gabriel winning a header whilst elbowing a keeper in the face that was allowed to stand, yet yesterday an arm across was deemed unacceptable

There are rules we as fans don’t like, but the problem is the consistency with how they are enforced, not the rules themselves