Monday’s briefing: VAR gives Gunners a boost, Hammers heading downhill, Up Dale

Arsenal took a huge step towards securing the Premier League title in a dramatic late finish at West Ham.

They did, however, need some help from a very late VAR intervention.

Further down the football pyramid Rochdale got their reward for an impressive season with a hugely-important Wembley win.

Mikel Arteta congratulated the “brave” match officials for overturning an “obvious error” in Arsenal’s controversial 1-0 win against West Ham which edges them closer to a first Premier League title in 22 years.

Leandro Trossard fired Arteta’s side ahead with just seven minutes remaining before Callum Wilson appeared to deal a hammer blow to the Gunners’ championship aspirations – and a crucial boost to West Ham’s hopes of survival – in stoppage time.

But after referee Chis Kavanagh was sent to the on-pitch monitor by VAR, and then watched an extraordinary 17 replays of the flashpoint, he elected to chalk off the equaliser, with Pablo Felipe adjudged to have fouled Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.

West Ham were furious with the decision, but for Arsenal it takes them five points clear of City, and leaves them only two matches away from the title.

And Arteta said: “It was a call from the ref that is very brave, but very consistent with what they’ve been talking about all season.

“When I have to be critical, I have been. And today I have to praise them, at least for giving the option to a referee to decide, away from the lights and the chaos, to give clarity to him to make the right call.

“And when you look at the action in that way, it is an obvious error.”

Gary Neville felt the VAR system passed its biggest test yet after a dramatic late intervention in Arsenal’s victory over West Ham on Sunday.

The relegation-threatened Hammers