'Where is the consistency?' West Ham's Bowen criticises late VAR call against Arsenal

West Ham were behind due to Leandro Trossards late goal at the London Stadium, yet seemed to have secured a dramatic equaliser when Wilson slotted in after Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya let the ball slip.

The West Ham players joy was short-lived following an extended VAR review, which prompted referee Chris Kavanagh to overturn his initial call, deeming that Pablo had committed a foul on Raya following a check at the pitchside monitor.

Nuno Espirito Santos team are still stuck in the drop zone, trailing fourth-from-bottom Tottenham by a single point, with Spurs holding a fixture in hand versus Leeds on Monday in the fight to stay in the top flight.

"It is a massive disappointment. We believed we had fought back brilliantly, only for it to be snatched away," Bowen remarked.

"After scrutinising the footage for several minutes, they will spot something, perhaps some tussling or pulling. Do I believe it was correct? Absolutely not.

"What happened to consistency? Supporters do not wish to rejoice over a goal, then endure an eight-minute wait before it is disallowed."

West Ham had pressed for penalties over possible infractions by Declan Rice and Trossard during the Wilson episode.

Bowen further argued that match officials lack uniformity in handling possible offences during dead-ball situations.

"Set pieces involve physicality. The Premier League thrives on that intensity, which is part of its appeal. Contact is inevitable at corners," he noted.

"If decisions like this stand, then every instance of holding must be penalised, which would alter the sport in ways fans would dislike.

"I am not trying to come across as resentful, yet just last week we saw Tomas Soucek manhandled at Brentford without a spot-kick awarded.

"So, you cannot then award one in this manner today."

West Ham manager Nuno commented: "How the match concluded has left us all frustrated, naturally.

"I avoided watching the replay to prevent getting even angrier, but referees exist, VAR is in place, and past similar incidents have been assessed differently. We shall leave it at that.

"Over recent campaigns, such occurrences have been frequent, and it seems even the officials are unsure about what qualifies as a foul and what does not. This breeds uncertainty and endless debate."