It turns out that West Ham might have indeed benefited from a stroke of luck in our recent clash against Manchester United. Referees’ chief Howard Webb has confirmed that VAR should not have called David Coote to review the pitch side monitor regarding a potential penalty awarded to us.
The incident in question saw Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt challenge Hammers striker Danny Ings in the box, leading to Ings going down. Initially, the officials seemed uncertain about whether Ings truly had control of the ball. However, the VAR team at Stockley Park decided to recommend a penalty, a call that ultimately led to Jarrod Bowen scoring from 12 yards, clinching a 2-1 victory for West Ham.
Webb has since admitted on ‘Match Officials Mic’d Up’, speaking with former Everton midfielder Leon Osman, that the VAR team “misread” the situation. According to Webb, “The VAR got a bit too focused on de Ligt’s leg, missing the context of the play.” It’s a rare admission from the head of officiating, but an interesting insight into the intense scrutiny around VAR’s impact on games.
If we’re honest, West Ham’s win was lucky as hell given Manchester United’s’ dominance in the first half, which put us on the back foot. On this occasion, West Ham were the lucky recipients of the VAR incompetence which ultimately cost Erik ten Hag his Old Trafford job. However, in the Premier League match labelled ‘El Sackio’, it could have turned out very differently for the Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui.
