MIKEL ARTETMA HAS INVITED VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLE FOR THE VICTORY PARADE

 

WHAT DAVID RAYA SAID IMMEDIATELY AFTER PABLO FOUL AS ARSENAL HANDED HUGE THE TITLE RACE VAR BOOST

Arsenal claimed a crucial 1-0 win over West Ham United at the London Stadium in a match full of late drama

A foul on David Raya saw a late West Ham United goal vs Arsenal disallowed after a VAR review.(Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

David Raya predicted that West Ham’s equalising goal against Arsenal would be ruled out. The Hammers thought that they had scored a crucial equaliser against the Gunners in injury time, only to see the goal chalked off after a VAR review.

Replays showed a foul by West Ham’s Pablo on Raya as the ball came into the penalty box. The Arsenal goalkeeper was therefore unable to collect the ball, which fell to Callum Wilson to put beyond the goal-line.

The foul originally went unpunished with the goal given on the field. However, referee Chris Kavanagh was sent over to the pitchside monitor to watch replays and disallowed the goal.

The decision saw Arsenal emerge as 1-0 winners thanks to Leandro Trossard ’s goal just a few minutes earlier.

Speaking after the match, Trossard revealed what Raya said to him in the aftermath of the West Ham goal. “Raya said straight away ‘it can’t be a goal’,” he told Sky Sports.

West Ham United's late equaliser against Arsenal was disallowed after a VAR review.(Image: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

“At that moment, I had a lot of faith. I believed because he was pretty convincing, but you never know.

“You are thinking it is not going our way, but luckily it was a foul and we won the game.

“It was relief as there wasn't long to go, but we still had to dig in for a couple of minutes. We are just really happy with this win.”

“Then with the goal, I was just happy we won.”

The victory moves Arsenal five points clear of second-placed Manchester City in the Premier League table. City do, though, have a game in hand, which will be played on Wednesday night when they take on Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium.

- Amie Wilson

EVERTON BOSS DAVID MOYES BLASTS 'RIDICULOUS' RED CARD AND POINTS FINGER AT JACK GREALISH

Everton failed to beat rock bottom Wolves at Hill Dickinson Stadium with David Moyes left furious as the Toffees had both Michael Keane and Jack Grealish sent off by Thomas Kirk, officiating only his second Premier League game

Jack Grealish of Everton reacts to referee Thomas Kirk sending him off(Image: 2026 CameraSport)

Furious David Moyes described the decision to give Michael Keane a red card for hair-pulling as ‘ridiculous’. But the Everton manager did admit he was unhappy with Jack Grealish for following Keane to the dressing-room after collecting two yellow cards for dissent in the space of a few moments.

Young referee Thomas Kirk was sent to the video monitor by VAR Chris Kavanagh after Keane had challenged Tolu Arokodare late in the second half of the 1-1 draw with Wolves at Hill Dickinson Stadium. And as Keane appeared to tug Arokodare’s hair, Kirk decided he had no option but to dismiss the Everton centre-half, who had given his team a first half lead.

But Moyes fumed: “It is not violent, it is not forceful and it is not deliberate. So, all of those things I have said mean it shouldn’t have been a red card. I think it was a really poor decision to send him to the screen in the first place. (Marc) Cucurella got his hair pulled - violent conduct, a deliberate action, no problem with that.

“But this was in the game, on a ball coming up, and unless you have played the game, you might not understand. I have been a centre-half and there is no way I am jumping to out-jump a big centre forward and think .. ‘oh, by the way, I am going to out-jump him and, at the same time, I am going to pull his hair’

“I don’t know anyone on the planet who is good enough to think that way when they are jumping up. I thought it was a ridiculous decision by the referee but more by VAR. I thought the ridiculous bit came from VAR.

“If anyone grows their hair a bit longer, they have a chance of getting it pulled. Crazy. It was a ridiculous decision. Everybody was frustrated, everybody could not believe it.”

Moyes himself was so frustrated that he was booked by Kirk but the Everton manager was still annoyed with Grealish who was booked for dissent and was then dismissed for sarcastically applauding a Kirk decision. And when Moyes was asked if Grealish had been unprofessional and if he would be having words with the on-loan Manchester City man, he curtly replied: “Yes, I agree - and I already have done.”

Although Moyes is furious about the Keane decision, he was unsure whether the club would appeal against it, even though they now face being without their defender for three games. Grealish will miss one game for his two yellow cards.

Moyes, though, did admit he was not pleased with Everton’s performance prior to the Keane dismissal, which came in the 83rd minute - seven minutes before Grealish was sent off.

“Not great,” he said after a Mateus Mane strike had earned Wolves a point. “It was always going to be a difficult game but we could have gone two up before half-time. But we never really felt as though we got a grip of it.”

- Andy Dunn

VAR AUDIO RELEASED FOR BRUNO FERNANDES RED CARD VS. TOTTENHAM

 PGMOL chief Howard Webb has admitted that VAR made an error by failing to immediately overturn the red card issued to Bruno Fernandes during Manchester United’s recent 3-0 loss to Tottenham in the Premier League. The United captain was shown a straight red by referee Chris Kavanagh at Old Trafford for a challenge on James Maddison on September 29. United were trailing by just one goal at the time and pushing for an equaliser.

In a bid to win back possession near the centre circle, the 30-year-old lunged at Maddison but slipped, catching the Tottenham player's shin and sending him to the ground in a theatrical fashion. With assistance from VAR, the referee wasted no time in showing Fernandes a red card. It turned out to be a decisive moment, as the Red Devils' efforts to stage a comeback were upended.

VAR audio from the incident has now been released. Although review panels have since criticised the decision - with the midfielder's suspension being overturned following the club's appeal to the FA despite the Premier League initially releasing a statement to back the referee's decision - conversations between the match officials reveal how they reached their incorrect conclusion.

The Audio in Question

The assistant referee acted at once to call the challenge a '100% red card'

On the latest episode of Match Officials Mic'd Up, a series of controversial incidents were brought back to the fore, with audio for each case being revealed for the first time. During Man United's match against Tottenham, footage released shows Kavanagh's assistant referee telling him: "That's awful for me, that's 100% a red card."

After VAR reviewed the decision to brandish a red card, they proved surplus to requirements in stepping in and overturning the on-field judgement. Peter Bankes can be heard saying:

"It's not studs. It's shin height. It's a deliberate act and made no attempt to play the ball. The angle doesn't show it's with studs. There is a slip but I think ref's call."

Howard Webb Gives Verdict

PGMOL chief says the decision not to overturn was a mistake.

A former referee of 12 years and over 300 Premier League games, Webb was adamant that VAR should have gone against Kavanagh's initial call, stating: "It was [a mistake]. We hear on the audio that the assistant said it was a red card offence and the referee takes that advice.

"The contact is high, but Fernandes slips first. It's not an attempt on the ball, but from the assistants' view, it looks like studs go in - but it's a slight error. There's no driving the foot into the opponent, it's more of a tripping action. VAR should have sent the referee to the screen."

The controversy surrounding the incident eventually allowed Fernandes to win his appeal, avoiding suspension and enabling him to play in United's next two matches - against Porto in the Europa League and Aston Villa in the Premier League. However, the Portuguese international wasn't able to manage to stay out of trouble for long. In the midweek fixture, he was once again shown a red card, resulting in an upcoming suspension for European competition.

- Robin Mumford

DECLAN RICE RED CARD: ARSENAL - BRIGHTON AUDIO SHOWS REF ANGST

Premier League referee Chris Kavanagh conceded he "didn't like" showing Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice a red card for kicking the ball away during the draw against Brighton last month, but had no choice.

The audio of the incident was released on Tuesday in the first episode of the Premier League's "Match Officials Mic'd Up" in which former referee Howard Webb joined former England striker Michael Owen to discuss five on-field decisions.

In it, Kavanagh is heard talking to his assistants via his microphone, saying "I don't like it, but he's knocked the ball."

Rice, who had already been booked, tapped the ball away from Joël Veltman to delay the taking of a free-kick. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta afterwards said he was "amazed" that the England midfielder had been shown a second yellow card.

Kavanagh was clearly uncomfortable with the decision he had to make, but said he was put in a difficult situation.

"Second yellow, for me. I had no choice, he knocks the ball away. As [Veltman's] about to kick it, he knocks the ball," he is heard to say. "I have no choice. He's put me in an awful position. Dec, you need to go I'm afraid."

The Premier League hope the show will help fans understand the processes involved in decision-making by on-field and VAR officials, following intense criticism last season.

Webb, who is the chief operating officer of referees' body the PGMOL, agreed that Kavanagh was correct to send off Rice.

"We've messaged very clearly and strongly to the players in pre-season around the importance of not getting involved with the ball once the whistle is gone, not delaying the restart in that way," Webb said.

"Once he's seen Declan Rice deliberately, clearly kick that ball away from the position of that free-kick, then I don't think he's got any choice."

Arteta was also annoyed that Brighton forward Joao Pedro had escaped a yellow card for delaying the restart in the first half, and Webb conceded he should have been booked.

"Of course, he [Pedro] should have been cautioned here," Webb admitted. "The officials on the field gave him too much benefit of doubt, feeling that the actions weren't really impactful because they felt that the Arsenal players were not ready to take that throw-in."

Among the other incidents discussed was a penalty that was awarded to Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin against Brighton by referee Simon Hooper but overturned after VAR invited the referee to review the incident.

Footage showed Calvert-Lewin had actually trodden on the foot of a Brighton defender Lewis Dunk, not the other way round.

"Sometimes the referee's call will be clearly and obviously wrong and in this case it was," Webb said.

"So that's a good example of a situation where the referee's call was wrong and it needed intervention by the VAR."

Webb did admit that VAR Tim Robinson was wrong to disallowed Dango Ouattara's stoppage time winner for AFC Bournemouth against Newcastle United for handball.

"In this situation, the ball strikes Ouattara's shoulder, upper-arm area." Webb explained. "It's hard to be totally conclusive as to exactly where. I don't think that's conclusive enough to intervene."

Information from ESPN's Dale Johnson contributed to this report.

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REFEREE RIGHT TO SEND OFF DECLAN RICE - PREMIER LEAGUE PANEL

Declan Rice was controversially shown a red card during the second half of Arsenal's draw with Brighton. Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images

The Premier League's Independent Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel has unanimously supported referee Chris Kavanagh's decision to send off Declan Rice in Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Aug. 31.

Rice was already on a caution when he got into an altercation with Joël Veltman and gave away a free kick. As Veltman stepped forward to kick the ball, Rice knocked it off the pitch with his foot, and Kavanagh showed the Arsenal midfielder a second yellow card for delaying the restart of play.

The findings, seen by ESPN, state that "Rice knows what he's doing, it's a gentle touch but once the referee sees it, he has no choice."

The KMI panel has five members, made up of three former players and/or coaches, plus one representative each from the Premier League and PGMOL. It was set up at the start of the 2022-23 season to give an independent assessment of decision-making rather than relying on the views of PGMOL or the clubs themselves. The judgement is intended to provide an arm's-length assessment of all major match incidents but gives weight to the decision of the referee in subjective situations, taking into account the laws of the game and the Premier League's interpretation.

There was "unanimous agreement" among the five on the KMI panel "that the actions of Rice were clear, deliberate and impactful. Therefore, the referee was correct to send Rice off for a second caution for delaying the restart."

The panel also supported the decision of referee Jarred Gillett not to show a second yellow card to Crystal Palace midfielder Will Hughes at Chelsea on Sept. 1. Hughes had pulled back Cole Palmer on the edge of the box, but on a split 3-2 vote the panel said "it is a holding offence but it doesn't feel like it's stopping a promising attack due to the Palace defender positioned immediately in front of Palmer."

So far this season there has been little real controversy in the Premier League, with only one VAR decision ruled to be incorrect -- when Tim Robinson intervened to disallow Dango Ouattara's injury time "winner" for handball in AFC Bournemouth's game against Newcastle United on Aug. 25.

While there have been no other VAR errors, the panel has ruled there were two penalties situations which were wrong on the pitch but didn't meet the threshold for a clear and obvious error for an intervention: Referee Tony Harrington should not have given West Ham United a spot kick against Aston Villa, while Ipswich Town should have been awarded a penalty at Manchester City.

Across 84 key match incidents looked at by the VAR across the first three matchdays, only nine votes out of a possible 420 have said the video assistant made a mistake -- and five of those came in the unanimous judgement that Bournemouth's goal should have stood.

- Dale Johnson, General Editor, ESPN FC

LIVERPOOL 'PAST A TEST ' AGAINST MAN CITY - JURGEN KLOPP

Getty

Jurgen Klopp said Liverpool "passed a test" in their 1-1 draw with Manchester City on Saturday.

Trent Alexander-Arnold scored a second-half equaliser to cancel out Erling Haaland's 50th Premier League goal as Liverpool ended City's 23-game winning run at the Etihad Stadium.

Klopp admitted he was more happy with a point than Pep Guardiola and said his team had proved their character in an early title test.

"For us, I think it passed a test, I am not sure if it was the test," Klopp said. "In a business where nobody has time, it is really difficult to ask for it and use it.

"Last year we had a team that played long together and we got completely under the wheels here [in a 4-1 defeat] and had no chance.

"Today we had a chance. I am not silly, if you ask who was more likely to win the game it was City, obviously. We want to be ready to give them a proper game and that is what we did."