VAR takes center stage as Arsenal beat West Ham to inch closer to the title

Arsenal players celebrating (Pic: AFP)

Arsenal moved one step closer to their title dreams with a gritty 1-0 victory over West Ham United in a tense London derby. A late strike from Leandro Trossard helped Arsenal's Premier League hopes massively as they defeated West Ham United 1-0 to stay five points clear of second-placed Manchester City.

The game started with Arsenal dominating possession, but West Ham's organised defence made it difficult to find a breakthrough. While Arsenal moved the ball well, they struggled to test the goalkeeper in a quiet first half that left the home fans feeling nervous.

The breakthrough finally came in the dying minutes after Trossard slotted the ball in the back of the net after an assist from Martin Odegaard. That single goal proved to be enough as the visitors took back 3 points to the Emirates and opened a 5-point lead over Manchester City.

The Sunday's win did not come without some drama as the ruling out of Callum Wilson's 95th-minute equaliser was ruled out because of a foul on the Gunners' goalie David Raya, as per Sky Sports.

The VAR spotted West Ham's Pablo's arm across Raya's neck as the latter fumbled the initial delivery into the box. The referee, Chris Kavanagh, was sent to the monitor by VAR Darren England, and the goal was disallowed.

Mikel Arteta admits that the referee was under huge pressure

Speaking after the match, Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said that the referee made the right call regarding West Ham's disallowed goal. The Spanish coach believed that the referee made the right call after VAR intervened to disallow West Ham United's 94th-minute equaliser.

"Probably today I have realised how difficult and how big the referee's job is. Because you are talking about a moment that can decide the history, the course, of two massive clubs that are fighting for their lives to achieve their objectives. And the pressure is huge," Arteta said.

"There are still two games to play. We came to win the game today; somehow, you have to get rewarded. You have to have the ability to win in all types of contexts. We have shown that. The only thing that matters is now, the present. Today, we have done it. There are two more to go," he added.

(With ANI Input)