West Ham’s coach believes two of Arsenal’s goals should not have counted during their recent match, raising concerns about officiating decisions that impacted the game’s outcome.
Arsenal started strong, scoring five goals in the first half. However, West Ham managed to score twice in a short period. Despite this, Arsenal went into halftime with a comfortable lead. Lopetegui felt that two of Arsenal’s goals were unfair.
He pointed out that the first goal by Gabriel Magalhaes was questionable. Lopetegui argued that Lucas Paqueta was fouled by Jurrien Timber just before the goal was scored. He insisted that Timber’s action prevented Paqueta from jumping to defend.
Lopetegui stated, “Believe me, Paqueta is fouled. Timber bumped him with the intention of stopping him from jumping.” He emphasized that such actions should not be allowed in the game.
Arsenal also received two penalties in the first half. While Lopetegui accepted the first penalty, he was critical of the second one. He believed that the second penalty decision was a turning point in the match.
He said, “If the second penalty is a penalty, I need to understand what counts as a foul.” Lopetegui stressed that the rules should apply equally to all teams.
The second penalty was awarded after West Ham’s goalkeeper, Lukasz Fabianski, made contact with Gabriel while trying to clear the ball. Lopetegui argued that Fabianski did not make a clear foul, as he only made a glancing punch.
Despite Lopetegui’s complaints, he acknowledged that West Ham also faced some questionable calls. He mentioned a free-kick that led to their second goal, where Declan Rice appeared to win the ball cleanly.
In the end, Lopetegui recognized that Arsenal played better overall, regardless of the controversial decisions. He concluded that the better team won on the day, even if he had concerns about the officiating.
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