West Ham goalkeeper Mads Hermansen has sounded off on what he calls a growing crisis in the Premier League—the unchecked pushing and shoving at corner kicks. His frustrations come after a VAR decision denied his side a dramatic late equalizer against Arsenal, reigniting the debate over how goalkeepers are protected during set pieces.

With relegation looming, West Ham thought they had snatched a precious point at the London Stadium on Sunday. Callum Wilson's stoppage-time finish sent the home fans into a frenzy after Arsenal's David Raya had spilled the ball under pressure. But the celebrations were cut short. Referee Chris Kavanagh, after a lengthy VAR review and a trip to the pitch-side monitor, ruled that a foul by West Ham's Pablo on Raya had occurred before the goal. The decision stood, and Leandro Trossard's 82nd-minute strike secured a 1-0 win for the league leaders.

The result pushed Arsenal five points clear at the top of the table, while West Ham slipped into the bottom three with just two games left to play. Furious with the call, the Hammers are reportedly planning to take their concerns to the Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOL).

But for Hermansen, this wasn't an isolated incident—it was the breaking point in a season-long issue. "If you ask any goalkeeper in the league, if he's been illegally blocked, pulled, pushed on corners this season, I think you will not find anyone who has not experienced this," the 25-year-old Denmark international said. "So to give this decision against West Ham, I'm not sure I understand why."

Hermansen acknowledged that Raya was indeed impeded but questioned the inconsistency in how similar incidents have been handled all season. "We watched it afterwards, and we can see there's shirt pulls on Mavropanos, shirt pulls on Soucek, even shirt pulls on Pablo before the goal. So to pick this situation..." he said. "You know, I agree it's a foul. You can give the foul on the goalkeeper, definitely. But with what has been given this season—goals with illegal blocks, illegal pulls, pushing on goalkeepers—I don't understand why that's been given."

The frustration is shared across the league, Hermansen revealed, even by the man who benefited from the call. "I spoke with David after the game, and I think we have the same experience on this matter during this season. Because, of course, he has experienced it as well," he added.

For goalkeepers at every level, this debate hits close to home. Whether you're a weekend warrior or a Premier League star, protection in the box is a universal concern. As the season winds down, one thing is clear: the battle for clarity on set pieces is far from over.