<\/p>\n
Arsenal are closing in on a first Premier League title for 22 years after the decision to rule out a late West Ham equaliser had huge ramifications at both ends of the table on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Callum Wilson\u2019s stoppage time strike looked to have given the Hammers a lifeline in the relegation battle and Manchester City hope in the title race.<\/p>\n
\ufeffGet all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n But a VAR review for a foul on David Raya rescued Arsenal and edged north London rivals Tottenham, who face Leeds on Tuesday morning Australian time, closer to survival.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, dropped points for Aston Villa and Liverpool has left the fight for a place in the Champions League next season open as in-form Bournemouth and Brighton close in.<\/p>\n Scroll down for the biggest talking points from the weekend\u2019s English Premier League action!<\/i><\/p>\n \u2018IT\u2019S SO WRONG\u2019: BACKLASH TO VAR\u2019S \u2018BIGGEST MOMENT IN HISTORY\u2019 <\/b><\/p>\n West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo said that \u201cthe referees are confused\u201d.<\/p>\n West Ham captain Jarred Bowen questioned \u201cwhere is the consistency?\u201d.<\/p>\n While more than 50,000 West Ham fans inside the London Stadium vented their anger at Callum Wilson\u2019s late equaliser being ruled out by the VAR.<\/p>\n The general consensus among the Sky Sports panel – made up of Roy Keane, Ian Wright and Jamie Redknapp – post-game was that the right decision had been made.<\/p>\n The replays showed that West Ham forward Pablo had obstructed Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.<\/p>\n But the replays also showed former Hammer Declan Rice obstructing towering centre back Konstantinos Mavropanos as well as multiple pushes and pulls as the ball was swung into the box from a corner.<\/p>\n The frustrations of West Ham supporters and footballs fans around the globe who despise VAR were only heightened but the fact such scrums in the penalty area have been allowed from set pieces all season.<\/p>\n Arsenal have been the best team in the league at it and their ability to score from set pieces has been a key reason why they are top of the league.<\/p>\n Arteta congratulates refs vs. West Ham | 04:39<\/p>\n Adding more to the frenzy was the fact that VAR panned over the replay 17 times.<\/p>\n It took four minutes and 17 seconds for Darren England to rule that it was a foul on Raya.<\/p>\n It was exactly the kind of scenario former Tottenham and Nottingham Forest boss Ange Postecoglou lamented on the \u2018Stick to Football\u2019 podcast earlier this year.<\/p>\n The joy was sucked out of the moment for the home fans, and the length it took to reach the decision was unacceptable for a system that is supposed to quickly step in to eradicate howlers. <\/p>\n The Guardian\u2019s<\/a> Barney Ronay captured VAR\u2019s impact on the modern game by writing: \u201cThe ground suddenly hushed as he turned and said: \u201cAfter review, West Ham\u2019s No 19 commits a foul \u2026\u201d At which point the words disappeared into a rising roar. Previous title deciders had AG\u00dcERO and \u201cIt\u2019s up for grabs now.\u201d Generation digital mess gets: \u201cAnd my final decision is …\u201d<\/p>\n Manchester United great Peter Schmeichel was one of many who could not believe the VAR\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n \u201cThat decision today, it\u2019s so wrong on so many levels,\u201d the former goalkeeper said on ViaPlay.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat really makes me angry is Arsenal would never be top of the league if that\u2019s a free kick. That\u2019s how they\u2019ve scored so many goals, by blocking people, holding people, doing all kinds of things.<\/p>\n \u201cThen we get to this point and it takes VAR five minutes… that in itself puts so much doubt into that decision that it cannot be a free kick.<\/p>\n \u201cI just don\u2019t understand why all of a sudden that\u2019s a free kick… it\u2019s just crazy, so wrong on so many levels.\u201d<\/p>\n Schmeichel\u2019s former teammate Gary Neville was in the other camp, however.<\/p>\n On commentary for Sky Sports, Neville called it at the time \u201can earthquake, a tremor of a moment\u201d and \u201cthe biggest moment in VAR history in the Premier League\u201d.<\/p>\n Post-game on his podcast, Neville sided with the video referee despite the backlash.<\/p>\n \u201cFor Darren England, it\u2019s all eyes on him,\u201d he said. \u201cAt the start, we don\u2019t know. Was it over the line? That was what I was thinking but it looked over the line and Declan Rice, as it turned out, was way behind the line.<\/p>\n \u201cBut then we see obviously a VAR check for a foul on the goalkeeper and I think that\u2019s the biggest moment in VAR history in the Premier League.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are a lot who aren\u2019t fans of VAR, and maybe rightly so, but it could have just made Arsenal champions, and it could have got a decision right that wouldn\u2019t have been right.<\/p>\n \u201cI was wondering whether Darren England had the courage, had the nerve to overturn, and what was he going to do in this moment. I have to say we get the luxury, and I wish all fans at home and fans in the stadium got the luxury of being able to hear them, because to be fair he was composed, he was walking through it, he was talking to the referee, he was talking to his colleague who was sat next to him, and he walked through it perfectly.<\/p>\n \u201cHe checked everything around it, there was a little foul by Rice behind, I think that was maybe after the Raya foul, and just the fact that Pablo just had his arm there and he wasn\u2019t looking at the ball. He wasn\u2019t looking to play the ball, and he was looking just to impede the goalkeeper.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it\u2019s just one of those where you\u2019re just going up as a movement, then I think maybe that\u2019s something that he would have got away with, but that prolonged lasting arm across Raya, they have to then call it.<\/p>\n \u201cDarren England made the right decision and Arsenal breathe the biggest sigh of relief, probably that those fans have breathed for a long, long time.\u201d<\/p>\n READ MORE<\/b><\/p>\n \ufeff\u2018Biggest moment in VAR history\u2019: Ref chaos rocks title race, survival scrap as boss fumes \u2014 PL Wrap<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n \ufeff\u2018Come on you irons!\u2019: Pep\u2019s presser plea as City heap pressure on Arsenal in PL title race<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n \ufeffSouthampton charged for allegedly spying on rival club ahead of playoff semi-final<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n City close to 2 points of Arsenal | 01:47<\/p>\n \u2018ARTETA DID THAT\u2019: GUNNERS BOSS\u2019 GAMBLE PAYS OFF<\/b><\/p>\n Arsenal\u2019s demons were set to reappear at the London Stadium in a frantic finale. Runners-up for the past three seasons, Mikel Arteta\u2019s team have wasted numerous opportunities already this season to leave City for dead in the title race.<\/p>\n Now, though, they appear to have scaled the final big hurdle after a hugely contentious call fell their way.<\/p>\n \u201cYou need a lot of courage and bravery to stand out and give the opportunity to the referee to have a look at the action,\u201d said Arteta. \u201cThey were very brave.\u201d <\/p>\n Two games against already-relegated Burnley and Crystal Palace, just days before the latter play in the Conference League final, separate the Gunners from glory.<\/p>\n And Arsenal might not even need six points with City still to travel to high-flying Bournemouth in one of their three remaining games.<\/p>\n Arsenal have responded in emphatic fashion since their defeat at the Etihad, not conceding a goal in the league since.<\/p>\n Including the two legs of their Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid, Arsenal have conceded once in their last five games.<\/p>\n After keeping another clean sheet against West Ham courtesy of VAR\u2019s late intervention, Manchester United great Roy Keane believed Arteta\u2019s men were deserving of praise.<\/p>\n