PGMOL expert: Axel Disasi's equaliser 'should have resulted in VAR review in West Ham vs Leeds
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Credit: Imago / TNT Sports Sun 5 April 2026 20:30, UK Axel Disasi should have seen his dramatic equaliser ruled out for a foul as West Ham United were knocked out of the FA Cup by Leeds United.That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that the defender endangered Pascal Struijk with a high boot at the London Stadium.In the sixth minute of added time, after Mateus Fernandes halved the deficit just three minutes earlier, Adama Traore floated a cross into the box for Disasi to attack, doing so by lifting his boot into the air.The No.4 made contact with the back of Struijk’s head, an incident that was looked at by VAR, but ultimately dismissed, with Leeds needing penalties to beat West Ham on Sunday, 5 April.UNBELIEVABLE 😲Two stoppage time goals and West Ham find themselves level 🔥📺 Watch live on TNT Sports and HBO Max pic.twitter.com/6e22pd56A7— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 5, 2026 View Tweet ⚽West Ham United Matchday⚽ Team news, line-ups, expert previews and tactical analysis for every West Ham fixture. VISIT THE WEST HAM MATCH HUB MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Craig Pawson should have disallowed Axel Disasi equaliserDaniel Farke’s side were absolutely adamant that the goal should have been chalked off, and Hackett appears to share that sentiment after watching replays of the incident.Speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the height of Disasi’s foot, the former referee said: “The boot is high and in close proximity to the head of the defender.
“It should have resulted in a VAR review, and the referee having a second look. I would have expected the goal to be ruled out due to the action of the goalscorer endangering the safety of his opponent.ChelseavsLeeds UnitedManchester CityvsSouthampton“Leeds are rather unfortunate that this goal was allowed to stand,” and while it was a frustrating moment for the travelling fans, the Whites eventually sealed their place in the semi-finals on penalties.What else did the referee get wrong at the London Stadium?Pawson made several mistakes at the London Stadium, with VAR unable to intervene at the right moments, with some incidents causing injuries to emerge.Anton Stach and Joe Rodon were both forced off early, and it was the former who should have earned an early penalty when being taken out by Max Kilman inside the penalty area.In addition to that, Lukas Nmecha was then punished for an almost identical foul on Disasi, but in the middle of the park instead.
The referee was all over the place in the FA Cup clash.Ethan Ampadu also had his name taken, just two minutes into the second half, but the Welshman was fortunate not to be sent off after his challenge landed high up on Adama Traore’s Achilles. ⚒️ Don’t Miss a Beat: Your West Ham Insider Access Get the full story from the London Stadium and Rush Green with our dedicated expert hubs: Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from East London.