Keown Fires Back at Schmeichel Over "Ridiculous" Arsenal-West Ham VAR Call

Arsenal's slender 1-0 victory over West Ham at the London Stadium on Sunday has become the talk of the Premier League, largely thanks to one controversial VAR decision that has pitted club legends against one another.

Leandro Trossard's deflected strike deep into the final ten minutes secured the three points for Mikel Arteta's side and moved them closer to the title. Yet the afternoon could have ended very differently had the officials not intervened when Callum Wilson nodded home from a corner for the hosts.

VAR official Darren England spent several minutes reviewing the incident before ruling that Pablo had fouled David Raya as the Arsenal goalkeeper attempted to collect the cross. The goal was chalked off, sparking immediate outcry from certain quarters.

Peter Schmeichel, the Manchester United icon, wasted little time in venting his frustrations. Speaking to Viaplay, the former goalkeeper questioned the consistency of the decision and the lengthy deliberation that preceded it.

"That's how they've scored so many goals, by blocking people, holding people, doing all kinds of things," Schmeichel said. "And then we get to this point, it takes VAR five minutes, Darren England the VAR, it takes five minutes. He starts it over again and starts it over again and again… that in itself puts so much doubt into that decision that it cannot be a free-kick."

He continued: "I think it's so wrong. I just don't understand why all of a sudden that's a free-kick, because it's not been for any teams all the way throughout the season. All this, it's just crazy. And that decision today, it's just so wrong on so many levels."

Schmeichel's broader complaint centred on Arsenal's defensive tactics at set-pieces, arguing that what transpired at the London Stadium contradicted how the Premier League has been policed all season.

Arsenal legend Martin Keown has now delivered a withering response, dismissing Schmeichel's analysis as fundamentally flawed. On talkSPORT, Keown pointed out the obvious contact between the West Ham player and Raya.

"He's holding his arm! I'd like to think I'm a fair man, this is a just decision," Keown stated. "What's remarkable is that it's a goalkeeper affected by this… if it had happened to him then he'd have been screaming from the rooftops that that's a foul. If he is still playing and he gets fouled to that degree… come on, it's ridiculous."

The former Gunner then took aim at Schmeichel's perceived bias, suggesting his objections owe more to club allegiances than objective analysis.

"He's angry because it's Arsenal. Did he not play for Manchester City? Did he not play for Manchester United? The current rivals and the former rivals of Arsenal," Keown said. "There was no disguise to the West Ham situation. There was three fouls on him."

Keown also highlighted how Arsenal have adapted their approach to defending set-pieces this season, moving away from traditional deliveries into the box due to the physical nature of opposition defending.

"We've seen that all season, it's been like a wrestling match. Until yesterday, they've stopped putting the ball in the box, Arsenal, because they've been wrestled to the ground so they're now going with the short corner which shows creativity, imagination," he concluded.