As things stand, Myles Lewis-Skelly will miss Arsenal’s next three domestic games, including a Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Newcastle United.
Lewis-Skelly saw red in a very controversial moment during Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Wolves on Saturday – the 18-year-old was sent off for a fairly standard professional foul.
Arsenal have already felt aggrieved about several referee or VAR decisions this season, and Michael Oliver perhaps one-upped all those which have come beforehand.
To the bemusement of pundits and fans Premier League wide, Oliver deemed Lewis-Skelly’s professional foul on Santiago Bueno as ‘serious foul play’, a decision Mikel Arteta was rightfully fuming with.
Speaking at full-time, Arteta wanted Lewis-Skelly’s red to be overturned, hoping that the club wouldn’t even need to appeal the decision themselves given that it was such an obvious mistake.
Michael Oliver criticised for ‘very poor’ Myles Lewis-Skelly red card
That being said, former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett shared his thoughts on the decision over on X a few hours after the game.
Hackett didn’t hold back, blaming both Oliver and VAR for a ‘disaster’ decision which he thought should have been prevented between the duo somehow.
Hackett noted that it was Arsenal on the wrong end of a controversial referee call again, labelling the whole debacle as ‘very poor’.
He said: “It’s Arsenal and once again they are at the end of a very poor refereeing decision.
“Michael Oliver – that is not a red card and if I was you I would tell Webb that you do not want to work with your VAR Darren England.
“Between you it was a disaster to send off that Arsenal player.”
Fortunately, Arsenal can appeal Lewis-Skelly’s red card, even if Arteta feels as if the club ultimately shouldn’t have to.
Can Arsenal appeal Myles Lewis-Skelly’s red card?
As mentioned, Lewis-Skelly will miss three games should the decision not be overturned.
Jamie O’Hara was baffled by the decision too – you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone who thinks that Lewis-Skelly deserved to be walking down the tunnel in the 43rd minute at Molineux.
Fortunately, Arsenal were still victorious thanks to a superb strike from Riccardo Calafiori – a repeat of his brilliance against Manchester City last year.
Of course, Arteta may now need to call upon Calafiori to start against City next time out in the Premier if Lewis-Skelly is unavailable.
Arsenal are already short of options at the back, and losing Lewis-Skelly for three games on the back of that decision would be a disaster for the Gunners.
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