Wayne Rooney, a former striker for Manchester United and England, has supported VAR’s decision to disallow West Ham United’s late equalizer against Arsenal, saying “they did a really good job” in one of the most important games of the season.
When Callum Wilson scored deep into stoppage time, West Ham believed they had saved a dramatic point.
The goal would have strengthened the Hammers’ struggle for survival while undermining Arsenal’s title hopes.
But following a protracted VAR review, the goal was disallowed due to Pablo Fornals’ foul on Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.
Arsenal moved five points ahead of Manchester City after holding on for a vital 1-0 victory. at the top of the Premier League standings, while West Ham stayed below Tottenham Hotspur in 18th place.
Speaking on the “Wayne Rooney Show,” as reported by BBC Sport on Monday, Rooney stated that despite the inevitable arguments around the incident, the officials made the right decision.
It’s obviously a foul. Since it’s contentious, you will undoubtedly hear from many individuals that it should have stood, including most likely all of the players, staff, and supporters. And after that, all of the Tottenham supporters, players, and employees will be complaining that it shouldn’t have happened, along with the Arsenal supporters, he added.
He clarified that the goalkeeper’s ability to challenge for the ball was obviously hindered by the contact on Raya.
However, he emphasized, “It’s the only time I really think VAR has done a really goodjob in such an important game.”
Rooney acknowledged that he has long been annoyed by the amount of protection goalkeepers got from officials, even though he agreed with the ruling.
“I believe that when VAR and the referees are consistent, it’s a foul if you get close to the goalkeeper. I detest this.”
“I’ve disliked goalkeepers throughout my career as a player because of that,” he claimed.
Goalkeepers already have significant physical advantages within the penalty area, Rooney continued.
They have a significant edge because they can jump with their arms, and they typically come out with their knees and studs down your back, among other things.
However, he continued, “I believe it is consistent with goalkeepers that [if] you go near them, they usually get a free-kick.”
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