VAR Decisions Spark Controversy in Title Races for Arsenal and Celtic

Two games produced stoppage-time VAR interventions with major title implications.

West Ham's equalizing goal against Arsenal on Sunday in the Premier League was ruled out for a foul by Pablo Fornals on goalkeeper David Raya. The decision secured a 1-0 victory for Arsenal, keeping them in control of the title race while increasing West Ham's relegation concerns.

On Wednesday night, VAR awarded Celtic a penalty for handball by Motherwell's Sam Nicholson with eight seconds left in added time. Kelechi Iheanacho scored from the spot for a 3-2 win in the Scottish Premiership, the final action of the match.

Both calls favored the title-chasing teams, Arsenal and Celtic, prompting similar backlash despite differences in process and evidence.

"The controversy and discontent around West Ham not being given the goal is because it's Arsenal," Danny Murphy said on Match of the Day. He suggested neutral fans oppose Arsenal winning the title due to their set-piece reliance and physical play at corners.

"They can't be held accountable for decisions in the past," Murphy added. "Just because it's Arsenal we shouldn't get it distorted."

In Scotland, fans outside Celtic and Rangers back Hearts to break the Old Firm duopoly, last breached by Aberdeen in 1984-85 under Sir Alex Ferguson. The penalty means Celtic needs only a win, not a three-goal margin, against Hearts at Parkhead on Saturday.

Pundits, fans and media debated both decisions, questioning VAR's overall value. Supporters expected it to end disputes, but reviews now draw extra scrutiny.

Pre-VAR, controversial calls like Pablo's grip on Raya's arm fueled outrage and social media clips. Yet pundits and refereeing experts widely agreed disallowing West Ham's goal was correct, with opposition mainly from fans.

Scotland saw the reverse: broad consensus that VAR erred in awarding Celtic's penalty. Hearts coach Derek McInnes called it a "disgusting" decision.

England VAR Darren England took two minutes 41 seconds to review angles for fouls and penalties in the Arsenal match. Referee Chris Kavanagh spent one minute 15 seconds at the monitor, viewing 17 replays, for a total of four minutes 11 seconds.

At Fir Park, VAR Andrew Dallas checked for one minute 25 seconds. Referee John Beaton spent 20 seconds at the monitor with two replays, slowed frames as proof of handball. From incident to kick, two minutes four seconds elapsed—half the London time.

Scottish VARs face resource limits: six cameras minimum, up to 12 for televised games, versus England's 28 or more. Beaton saw only the TV angle.

Referees trust VARs to intervene only on clear errors, making on-site calls rare. VARs hold final say, so Dallas boldly deemed Nicholson's handball conclusive.

"VAR was introduced to, in Fifa's terminology, not to look for pebbles but look for boulders," ex-Scottish referee Bobby Madden told 5 Live. "Last night isn't a pebble, it is not even a grain of sand. It goes against the whole ethos of why VAR was introduced."

Celtic fan writer Martin Callaghan for BBC Sport questioned Beaton's certainty given limited tools. He called Scottish VAR "VAR Lite," hurting players, fans, clubs and officials with multi-million-pound stakes.

Foundation of Hearts chairman Gerry Mallon congratulated the team but raised alarms over recent refereeing and VAR calls impacting results. Hearts sought clarification from authorities ahead of heightened scrutiny.