- It has been confirmed that the ball was IN for Tomas Soucek’s controversial goal
- His goal against Arsenal stood as VAR could not determine whether the ball went out of bounds
- Watch out Liverpool and Arsenal! Man City are ready to do what they always do and hit top gear at this stage of the season – Listen to It all starts
It has been confirmed that the ball was IN for Tomas Soucek’s controversial opener against Arsenal on Thursday afternoon.
West Ham secured a 2-0 win over The Gunner thanks to Soucek’s goal and Konstantinos Mavropanos’ header in the second half.
However, Soucek’s goal was controversial as VAR was unable to determine whether the ball had gone out of bounds before Jarrod Bowen’s cross.
It wasn’t the first time the Gunner had argued with VAR, as Anthony Gordon’s goal was allowed to stand in similar circumstances during the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal last month.
However, Richard Keys and Andy Gray have confirmed the ball was actually in Soucek’s goal and claimed there was ‘conclusive’ evidence after analyzing the footage live on BeIN Sports.
It has been confirmed that the ball was IN for Soucek’s controversial opener against Arsenal
Many fans felt the ball had gone out of bounds before Jarrod Bowen crossed for the opener (above)
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Speaking about the incident, Gray said: “They were able to get this bit of action and get the ball in a full circle. You could see part of the ball so they decided to make the ball exactly as big as it should be and it turned out convincing [the ball was in]’.
Gray went on to defend VAR, claiming it was a difficult decision to make as the ball was in the air. He said: “I think Newcastle’s was easier to judge because the ball was on the ground. The line was actually next to the football. While that one, the ball is in the air. That makes it more difficult to judge.’
Gray finished by saying that in no way did Bowen think the ball was actually in when he played the cross. The former footballer said: ‘When you see how little ball there is actually on the line, I would be surprised if Bowen thought the ball was out of bounds. He wouldn’t know there was even a tiny piece of the ball on the line.”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was not happy with the VAR and vented his frustrations that evening. He said: ‘If the technology we have at the moment is not good enough to give us that answer (or the ball has gone out of bounds), we have to win the game without it.
‘I have not seen it. They say it’s not final. It’s a shame that with the technology we have it’s not so clear so we can tell if it’s out or in. It’s finished. It’s gone. There’s nothing we can do about it now.’
Arsenal, who registered 30 shots to West Ham’s six, have now taken just four points in their last four league matches.
