Late VAR-assisted goal helps Crystal Palace get past West Ham

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:20 am

Jordan Ayew scored a VAR-assisted 88th-minute goal to complete a Crystal Palace comeback in a hard-fought 2-1 victory at West Ham United on Saturday that moved Roy Hodgson's side into the Premier League top four.

The goal was initially ruled offside by the linesman after Martin Kelly headed Andros Townsend's cross into the path of Ayew, who beat keeper Roberto Jimenez from close range.

But VAR intervened to overturn the decision by the smallest of margins and set up a frantic last few minutes as Palace held on for their first victory at West Ham for five years.

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The Hammers had taken the lead on 54 minutes when Sebastien Haller, who had been denied by a point-blank save from Vicente Guaita in the first half, stretched to get on the end of Ryan Fredericks's cross.

Crystal Palace escaped West Ham with three points thanks to a late VAR-assisted goal.
Ashley Western - CameraSport via Getty Images

Palace always looked like they had a goal in them and equalised less than 10 minutes later after Declan Rice clumsily raised an arm in the area to handle Cheika Kouyate's cross.

With regular penalty taker Luka Milivojevic suspended, Patrick van Aanholt stepped up to slot home a precise effort past Jimenez who was making his first Premier League start for West Ham.