Arsenal Stars Rated After Surviving the Most Controversial VAR Decision in Premier League History Against West Ham

LONDON—Mikel Arteta transformed the match three times through his substitutions, Martin Ødegaard entered from the bench to brilliantly set up the goal that Leandro Trossard converted to secure Sunday's victory, yet Arsenal's 1–0 triumph over West Ham United will be remembered primarily for referee Chris Kavanagh and his video assistant Darren England.

Alan Gunn, the referee who officiated the 1990 FA Cup final, once stated: "We are stage managers, not performers." Regrettably for all parties involved—including the officials themselves—they took center stage at the London Stadium.

Callum Wilson's stoppage-time equalizer that threatened to damage Arsenal's title hopes and breathe life into West Ham's survival push was disallowed for what the officials determined to be a foul by Pablo on David Raya. It remains somewhat unclear why VAR zeroed in on the forward's stray arm against the goalkeeper rather than the numerous other potential infractions simultaneously occurring from both sides during the typical scramble at corner kicks in today's Premier League.

After an agonizing few minutes, Kavanagh was directed to the pitchside monitor where he spent further time deliberating what may be the most consequential decision in VAR's brief existence. In the end, he sided with the Gunners, who claimed all three points to extend their lead over Manchester City, while West Ham were left stranded inside the relegation zone with only two remaining opportunities to secure their top-flight status.

One Thing We Can't Ignore

One of the most memorable passages from Sylvia Plath's landmark novel, The Bell Jar, draws a parallel between the protagonist's life and a fig tree, with each plump purple fruit dangling from countless branches representing a different path to choose. Paralyzed by the overwhelming number of possibilities stretching before her, Esther Greenwood wastes away, watching each fig wither and drop.

Arteta understands this dilemma. The return of so many injured players is undeniably welcome but simultaneously confronts the Arsenal manager with an overwhelming array of decisions. When Ben White collapsed to the ground midway through the first half, Arteta reached for the wrong fig.

Declan Rice was pushed into the fullback role, stripping Arsenal's midfield of its physicality and ball-carrying ability—qualities his replacement, Martín Zubimendi, could not replicate. The momentum of the match, which had clearly favored the visitors, shifted entirely in the opposite direction.

West Ham had failed to register a single meaningful shot before White's injury. Yet they would close out the first half in the stronger position, with many of their most threatening moves channeled down the flank inadequately covered by Rice.

In Plath's novel, Esther "wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest." Arteta had the opportunity to revisit the fig tree at the interval, bringing on Cristhian Mosquera to reinforce the right side of defense while Rice moved back into midfield.

The Basque manager wasn't finished there, calling on Ødegaard to produce the moment of brilliance with a dribble that opened up the space for Trossard's clean 83rd-minute winner.

That assist represented the 23rd Premier League goal either scored or created by an Arsenal substitute this season, easily the highest tally in the division. By comparison, Pep Guardiola's substitutions at Manchester City have contributed to just five goals.

Nuno Espírito Santo would come to regret the impact of his own substitute, Pablo.

Arsenal Player Ratings vs. West Ham (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: David Raya—8.3: Beyond his sharp reflexes, reading of the game and pristine hair, Raya's standout quality is his concentration. Even during lengthy spells of inactivity he remained switched on to West Ham's attempts.

RB: Ben White—6.4: Substituted off through injury after an unconvincing opening 20 minutes.

CB: William Saliba—7.5: There are no dramatic lunges or thunderous sliding challenges; Saliba's game is instead a masterful collection of subtle nudges and flicks, gliding through the match with ease.

CB: Gabriel—7.4: As the game descended into chaos in its closing stages, Gabriel appeared to thrive, relishing the frantic scramble of bodies.

LB: Riccardo Calafiori—6.4: Makes a significant impact on Arsenal's attacking play, lubricating the entire left flank's build-up. Unfortunate to be the player withdrawn at half-time to correct Arteta's tactical error.

CM: Declan Rice—7.5: Had his every touch predictably jeered by the home crowd. More surprising was finding himself shifted in and then back out of the right back position following White's early departure.

CM: Myles Lewis-Skelly—6.7: "It's not easy," Arteta reflected during the week, "to look that confident, that energetic, playing with that determination." Lewis-Skelly embodied every one of those qualities and then some.

AM: Eberechi Eze—7.0: Captured Arsenal's collective frustration, repeatedly driving the ball into a wall of claret-shirted bodies.

RW: Bukayo Saka—6.5: Struggled to make any real impact on the game. Substituted off to pointed, unflattering comparisons to Jarrod Bowen from the West Ham supporters, a reaction his display could not convincingly counter.

ST: Viktor Gyökeres—6.5: Against defenders he can physically overpower, Gyökeres shows flashes of quality. There appears to be a touch more sophistication to his play of late, mixing in some delicate layoffs alongside his trademark physical approach. Clear-cut chances were scarce.

LW: Leandro Trossard—8.2: Provided the decisive moment (outside of Stockley Park) to net his first goal of the calendar year.

SUB: Martín Zubimendi (28' for White)—6.2: Never managed to impose himself on the game.

SUB: Cristhian Mosquera (46' for Calafiori)—6.7: Not exactly a picture of defensive solidity but performed better than Rice in that role.

SUB: Martin Ødegaard (67' for Eze)—7.1: Altered the game's course with his delicate run into the West Ham penalty area.

SUB: Kai Havertz (67' for Zubimendi)—6.2

SUB: Noni Madueke (80' for Saka)—6.1

Subs not used: Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK), Piero Hincapié, Max Dowman, Gabriel Martinelli.

What These Ratings Tell Us

The Numbers That Explain Arsenal's Dramatic Win