Arsenal vs West Ham: Bowen VAR complaint, Lewis-Skelly warning

West Ham thought they had rescued a point in the 5th minute of stoppage time, then Callum Wilson’s equaliser was ruled out after a VAR review led by Darren England and a pitchside check for referee Chris Kavanagh. Leandro Trossard had already scored the only goal 7 minutes from time, his shot deflecting off Tomáš Souček. Jarrod Bowen was left complaining about consistency, while Myles Lewis-Skelly kept the focus on Arsenal’s title job.

Why Bowen was so angry

Bowen did not hide his irritation with the length of the review. “Where's the consistency? As a fan you don't want to celebrate a goal and then wait eight minutes and it's taken off you,” he told standard.co.uk. He also said, “If you look at something for long enough you'll find something to give and I think that's what happened in the end.”

That complaint will land with plenty of people. The check took several minutes before Kavanagh went to the monitor, and West Ham needed the moment badly enough already. They are in the relegation zone, a point adrift of safety with two games remaining, so a late equaliser matters more than routine frustration.

Bowen’s own numbers underline why he is speaking with authority. He has 8 league goals and 10 assists this season, and his 6.6 rating in this match reflected a busy night that ended in disappointment.

Arsenal keep the title message simple

Lewis-Skelly’s tone was much colder. “We have to stay humble. The dressing room is just joy, excitement, fulfilment – everything you can describe. We are buzzing, but we know that the job is not done,” he told the Independent. He added, “We have got two more finals left now, and we have to take each game as it comes. The next one is Burnley – and then we go on from there.”

That is the right message from an Arsenal dressing room still in control of its own fate. They remain top of the league on 76 points from 35 matches, and their 1-0 win came despite a shaky spell in a season that has already included a wobble. Leandro Trossard’s 7.9 rating was the highest in the match, while Myles Lewis-Skelly finished on 6.9 and Declan Rice completed 56 passes to help keep Arsenal steady.

The debate after the game is easy to frame. West Ham have every reason to feel aggrieved about the delay and the decision. Arsenal have every reason to keep their head down, because the title race is still alive and the final two fixtures are still to come.