West Ham 1-1 Aston Villa: VAR denies Irons stoppage-time winner after Tomas Soucek handball

West Ham United were denied a last-gasp winner after a lengthy VAR check as they drew 1-1 with Aston Villa in the Premier League.

Michail Antonio put West Ham 1-0 up at London Stadium, bravely stooping to head in Vladimir Coufal's cross within the half-hour, as the Irons grew into the game creatively despite Villa monopolising possession.

It marked an end to a seven-month league goal drought for Antonio, who has netted just three goals this season.

Five minutes into the second half, Antonio thought he'd doubled the lead as he bundled home following a Jarrod Bowen corner, but VAR ruled it out due to a handball from the bustling centre-forward.

Villa soon took control of proceedings and got themselves back onto level terms via a pair of substitutes linking up. Moussa Diaby broke down the right before pulling it back across the box from the byline, with Nicolo Zaniolo stabbing it home with a first-time finish at the end of a well-timed run.

The Hammers appeared to have snatched victory deep into stoppage-time, as a James Ward-Prowse free-kick was scrambled into the net by Bowen and Tomas Soucek.

But after five minutes of deliberation in Stockley Park and then by referee Jarred Gillett at the pitchside monitor, Soucek was adjudged to have handled the ball before it came off Bowen on the goalline.

The camera angles available appeared somewhat inconclusive due to the post slightly obscuring the view, with West Ham manager David Moyes looking frustrated by the decision at full-time.

West Ham have now dropped points in six of their eight league games immediately following Europa League outings this term, this time missing out on a chance to pull within a point of sixth-placed Manchester United.

However, the Hammers are now unbeaten in four league matches, arresting their poor start to the calendar year. They next travel to Newcastle United in two weeks' time.

Villa, meanwhile, failed to capitalise on Tottenham Hotspur's awful afternoon at Fulham yesterday. Unai Emery's side are now three points ahead of Spurs having played a game more, as they chase a Champions League place for the first time in 41 years.

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