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The width of a knee cost West Ham the chance to go fourth in the Premier League tonight.

With the London derby against Crystal Palace evenly poised at 1-1 and entering the final minute of normal time, Jordan Ayew found the back of the net only to see his effort ruled out for offside.

But upon review by VAR, it was determined that Felipe Anderson's outstretched knee had played the Palace striker onside - and consequently Michael Oliver's original decision was overturned, affording Palace an unlikely away win.



Whilst harsh on West Ham, who had taken an early second half lead through Sebastien Haller, the VAR call was technically correct - although the debate whether or not decisions should be overturned on the basis of such tiny margins will rage throughout the night and beyond.

Yet West Ham - who once again failed to produce against a team considered by many fans to be their inferior - cannot argue that they deserved to win the game which had been a fairly even affair throughout.

The first half produced few chances of note, although Sebastien Haller should've scored when presented with a golden opportunity on the half hour mark that he hit straight at Palace 'keeper Guaita.



Manuel Lanzini enjoyed West Ham's only other notably chance when he fired wide with the goal at his mercy on the stroke of half time, whilst Ryan Fredericks had to produce a 35th-minute goal-line clearance to deny Schlupp.

The second half sprang to life nine minutes after the restart when Haller atoned for his earlier miss by converting Fredericks' low cross with an outstretched boot.

But the Hammers were to lead for just eight minutes as the visitors levelled from the penalty spot through Patrick Van Aanholt, after Declan Rice had been penalised for hand ball - another controversial moment, given the close proximity between his hand and the ball (a matter of inches).

The game appeared to be heading for a draw until the final minute when Ayew pounced to convert a cross. Initially ruled out by referee Oliver, it was overturned by VAR despite the Palace man being no more than a matter of centimetres onside.

It was the sort of decision that cricket, for example, wouldn't have overturned given the omission of a 'clear and obvious' error. Yet West Ham were left ruing the involvement of technology for a second successive week - whilst Palace climbed into the Premier League's top four instead.


West Ham Utd: Roberto, Fredericks, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell (Zabaleta 84), Rice, Noble, Yarmolenko (Wilshere 78), Lanzini (Fornals 68), Anderson, Haller.

Subs not used: Martin, Balbuena, Snodgrass, Ajeti.

Goals: Haller (54).

Booked: Yarmolenko, Haller, Fredericks.

Crystal Palace: Guaita, Ward, Kelly, Cahill, van Aanholt, McArthur, Kouyate, Zaha, McCarthy (Townsend 81), Schlupp, Ayew (Benteke 90).

Subs not used: Hennessey, Tomkins, Dann, Meyer, Camarasa.

Goals: van Aanholt (62 pen), Ayew (89).

Booked: Ward, Benteke.

Referee: Michael Oliver.

Tickets sold: 59,912.

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