West Ham to contact PGMO over controversial disallowed goal against Arsenal

By Jamie Gardner, Press Association Chief Sports Reporter

West Ham are contacting referees’ body Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) to raise their concerns over the controversial disallowed goal at the end of Sunday’s match against Arsenal.

Officials ruled that Gunners goalkeeper David Raya was fouled at a corner by Pablo Felipe just before Callum Wilson scored to bring the Hammers level, with Chris Kavanagh changing his initial decision after a VAR review.

The defeat could be critical to the Hammers in their bid for survival, and the Press Association understands the club are contacting PGMO to raise concerns and request further explanations.

Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo and forward Jarrod Bowen both spoke out after the match about what they saw as a lack of consistency in how challenges at corners have been penalised in the Premier League this season.

PGMO’s chief refereeing officer Howard Webb is expected to provide his take on the incident during Tuesday night’s edition of Match Officials Mic’d Up which will air on Sky Sports and TNT Sports at 7pm.

Meanwhile, football’s lawmakers will look at how the game can best deal with grappling at corners after this summer’s World Cup, PA understands.

Holding and wrestling at corners and other set-pieces has been a feature of the Premier League season, and is back in the spotlight following Sunday’s incident, with plenty of it in evidence in the penalty area as Raya came to challenge for the ball.

PA understands this topic is likely to be discussed by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which sets the game’s laws, during its next round of discussions starting in the autumn.

IFAB director Ian Maxwell, the chief executive of the Scottish Football Association, was asked about the issue at the IFAB annual general meeting in February and said: “It wasn’t discussed specifically at today’s meeting. Anything we can do to try to eradicate that type of behaviour…

“We’re aware of it from a Scottish perspective, I’m not sure it’s necessarily getting worse. There will be geographical changes – football is played all over the world – different countries, different players will deal with things in slightly different ways.

“It’s within the protocol for match officials to take decisions on that (whether a foul has been committed) if they feel it is appropriate at the time, so they have got that opportunity.”

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta praised the officials – referee Kavanagh and VAR Darren England – for their handling of the issue on Sunday.

“It was a call from the ref that is very brave, but very consistent with what they’ve been talking about all season,” he said.

Nuno reflects on this evening's defeat 🗣️

— West Ham United (@WestHam) May 10, 2026

“When I have to be critical, I have been. And today I have to praise them, at least for giving the option to a referee to decide, away from the lights and the chaos, to give clarity to him to make the right call. And when you look at the action in that way, it is an obvious error.”

Nuno and Bowen strongly disagreed, however.

The Portuguese coach said: “You look at every corner in the Premier League and something like this is happening, not just today, but on all the pitches.

“I am talking about the lack of consistency. The players are confused and frustrated and they don’t understand it. It is upsetting. It is up to them to solve it, there is a referee and VAR, but the referees confuse themselves.”

Bowen added: “There’s lots of holding and grappling that goes on in the box. Are you going to look at those every time and give a penalty? Because that’s the only way that is the right way to do it.”