AdminWest Ham have suffered their fair share of controversial VAR decisions since the system’s introduction to the Premier League.
While we’ve occasionally benefited from doubtful calls—such as the recent penalty awarded against Manchester United—the bad decisions far outnumber the good when it comes to the Hammers.
One of the most memorable and frustrating examples occurred in April 2021, during a crucial match against Chelsea.
At that time, West Ham sat in fourth place with just six games remaining, with a genuine shot at securing a Champions League spot for the first time in the club’s history. But a fateful decision on the pitch would interrupt those ambitions.
Fabian Balbuena played a long ball forward, and in attempting to block it, Ben Chilwell found himself caught by Balbuena’s kicking leg.
The contact was clearly unintentional, with Balbuena focused only on the ball. However, Chilwell faked injury, prompting the referee and VAR to review the incident at the pitchside monitor.
As we all know, once a referee is asked to check the monitor, they often change their initial decision. Balbuena was shown a red card, and West Ham went on to lose 1-0.
The defeat was crucial, as Chelsea finished the season two points ahead of West Ham in fourth.
Had West Ham drawn or won that match, they would have finished above Chelsea and secured Champions League qualification.
Many fans blame referee Chris Kavanagh for this costly mistake, and unfortunately, he’s back in the spotlight.
Kavanagh is set to be on VAR duty when West Ham travel to St. James’ Park to face Newcastle next Monday.
The irony is that West Ham were victims of one of the most questionable VAR decisions in recent history at St. James’ Park last season, when Kalvin Phillips was wrongly penalised for a foul on Anthony Gordon.With Kavanagh involved again, there’s a lasting fear that we may face another unjust decision.
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