When West Ham United's late goal against Arsenal was ruled out on Sunday, the London Stadium erupted in frustration. But after the dust settled, a chorus of former referees and TV pundits have firmly backed the decision—saying it wasn't even close.

With West Ham fighting to escape the relegation zone and Arsenal chasing Premier League glory, every point matters. So when the ball fell to Callum Wilson in the box and he found the net, it felt like a massive moment. But the celebrations were cut short after a VAR review, and for good reason.

Here's what happened: As Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya jumped to claim a corner, West Ham's Jean-Clair Todibo grabbed his shirt and pulled it down. At the same time, substitute Pablo Felipe wrapped his arm over Raya's body, locking his hand around the keeper's arm. Together, the two West Ham players effectively prevented Raya from making the catch. The ball spilled to Wilson, who scored—but the referee, Chris Kavanagh, was sent to the monitor and rightly overturned the goal.

Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey didn't mince words: "When you look at it, you can clearly see that Pablo has impeded Raya. Not only that, but Todibo has got hold of Raya's shirt, so he's pulling it down. Very difficult for Chris Kavanagh in real time, but that's what VAR is there for. In my opinion, they've come to the correct decision—there's two fouls in there!"

Some West Ham fans pointed to a separate incident where Arsenal's Declan Rice wrapped his arms around Konstantinos Mavropanos, arguing that if the goal wasn't going to stand, at least a penalty should have been awarded. But former referee Dermot Gallagher, speaking on Sky Sports, explained why that argument doesn't hold up.

"You have to go in chronological order," Gallagher said. "If you look at it, Pablo puts his arm across Raya, he holds him—there's no doubt about that. If you look at the back behind that, there's Declan Rice engaging with Mavropanos. Is that a penalty? Well, if you look at it in that order, definitely Pablo goes first."

In the end, the officials got it right. It was a huge call in a high-stakes match, but the rules were clear—and the experts agree. For West Ham, it's a bitter pill to swallow. For Arsenal, it's a reminder that sometimes, the smallest details can decide a title race.