West Ham Awarded Controversial Goal At Arsenal After Inconclusive VAR Review

Tomas Soucek scored a controversial goal for West Ham versus Arsenal. A VAR review checked whether or not the ball had gone out of play but proved inconclusive.

West Ham United took the lead away at Arsenal in controversial circumstances on Thursday.

Tomas Soucek fired into the Gunners net in the 13th minute following a cut-back from Jarrod Bowen.

The goal was then the subject of a VAR review that lasted three and a half minutes.

Multiple replays from various angles were studied in an attempt to confirm whether or not the ball had gone out of play before Bowen assisted Soucek.

But none of the available angles could offer definitive proof, so the officials stuck with the on-field decision and awarded the goal.

Tomas Soucek comes through to put West Ham 1-0 up at the Emirates! #ARSWHU

📺 @peacock pic.twitter.com/52K7KsrFup

— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 28, 2023

Tomas Soucek’s West Ham goal was given on field by ref so VAR had to find clear evidence that ball was put of play, Bowen’s leg was in the way of the video replay so impossible to tell either way so original decision had to stand. One nil to the Cockney boys! pic.twitter.com/cRq5zjXFtn

— West Ham Football (@westhamfootball) December 28, 2023

Tomas Soucek pictured (center) shooting to score for West Ham United against Arsenal in a Premier League game at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday :: IMAGO/Paul Marriott

This was the second time this season that Arsenal had conceded a goal following an inconclusive VAR review.

The Gunners lost 1-0 at Newcastle in November when the VAR was unable to prove whether or not the ball had left the field of play moments before Anthony Gordon's winning goal.

Arsenal went on to lose 2-0 to West Ham on Thursday.

Former Gunners defender Konstantinos Mavropanos scored the game's second goal with a header from a James Ward-Prowse corner kick.

It could have been 3-0 but David Raya saved a late penalty from Said Benrahma.