Hackett Exclusive: Jon Moss got one big decision wrong in West Ham draw v Arsenal
We’re delighted to welcome former Premier League referee Keith Hackett as our exclusive West Ham columnist, each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at the London Stadium…
Keith Hackett has criticised Jon Moss for his decision to prevent a West Ham counter-attack in their 3-3 draw against Arsenal on Sunday.
David Moyes was left furious after Jarrod Bowen was brought down in the midst of a counter-attack with the Gunners lacking in options in defence.
Moss decided to bring it back for the foul rather than let play progress, and Hackett was not happy with the unnecessary disruption.
Speaking exclusively to West Ham Zone, Hackett said, “West Ham were on the attack and there was a clear foul on a player who stayed down.
“West Ham were in a fantastic position because they had more attackers than defenders, they were moving at pace and there was clearly a goalscoring opportunity.
“For some reason, there was quite a delay before he blew and brought the game back, and I was thinking ‘why’s he done that?’.
“An elite referee is expected to play advantage.
“On this occasion, his interference was not good for the game. Rightly, the wrath of David Moyes was there to be seen and I was pleased that Moss didn’t overreact – he must have known that he got something wrong.”
It was a crazy game, and Moss was in the heart of most of it.
As Hackett mentions, despite his highs, the referee has cost the Irons the possible chance of winning the game despite the Gunners fighting back in the second half.
Moyes was right to be livid on the touchline after the decision from Moss.
It is easy to come back to moments like this when thinking of reasons why the Hammers didn’t take home the three points, but we only had ourselves to blame for the lacklustre defending.
In other West Ham news, our Hammers player ratings from the 3-3 draw against Arsenal