Pep Guardiola has offered a measured response to the controversy surrounding West Ham’s disallowed late goal against Arsenal, steering clear of the VAR debate despite its massive impact on the Premier League title race.
The Manchester City manager admitted his focus shifted immediately to City’s next fixture rather than dwelling on the decision that denied West Ham a last-minute equalizer. This cautious tone stands in contrast to his earlier lighthearted comments, where he jokingly urged the Hammers to “do a favor” for City, even closing a press conference with a “Come on you Irons!” shout and a crossed-hammers gesture.
West Ham believed they had secured a late point through a Callum Wilson goal deep in stoppage time, but VAR intervened to overturn it. The officials determined that Pablo Felipe had fouled Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya during the buildup.
How did fans react to the West Ham’s disallowed goal against Arsenal?
The ruling has since ignited a heated debate among supporters and pundits, many of whom have criticized the consistency of VAR in similar high-stakes scenarios.
Addressing the media before City’s encounter with Crystal Palace, Guardiola declined to criticize the officiating. He maintained that City’s priority must be winning their own games rather than focusing on Arsenal’s results.
Guardiola also dismissed concerns that Crystal Palace might field a weakened side against Arsenal in their final match of the season.
“No, all the teams are professional,” he stated. “Aston Villa had nothing to play for when we faced them, and it was so difficult to beat them. So I am pretty sure that they [Crystal Palace] will do their best.”
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