Martin Keown’s heated argument with Wolves fan over Myles Lewis-Skelly’s red card shows Arsenal fans are right to be aggrieved

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Michael Oliver’s decision to send Myles Lewis-Skelly off in Arsenal’s win over Wolves on Saturday afternoon is still causing drama.

Lewis-Skelly was dismissed for a late tackle on Matt Doherty on the edge of the Wolves box shortly before half-time.

Arsenal fans were furious over the decision, with many feeling the lack of recklessness in the challenge and the fact that it was so far from goal meant a yellow card would’ve sufficed.

However, the PGMOL are yet to comment on the incident, and Arsenal are now awaiting the outcome of their appeal.

Martin Keown involved in heated exchange with Wolves fan over Arsenal red card

Arsenal went on to beat Wolves 1-0 at Molineux, but this didn’t prevent the fallout from the game being all about the first-half red card.

Lewis-Skelly will miss Arsenal’s next three matches, including crucial clashes with Newcastle and Manchester City, if the decision isn’t overturned.

Thus, the Gunners had every right to appeal the decision in an attempt to have one of their key men available in the near future.

Despite the consensus in many quarters of the footballing world being that Oliver’s decision was incorrect, not everyone is convinced.

Calling up talkSPORT on Monday, a Wolves fan refuted Martin Keown’s claim that it shouldn’t have been a red card.

“Definitely the right decision, when Martin Keown mentioned the incident earlier on, he needs to be honest about it,” he said.

“If you look at that challenge, when the first contact was made, his six studs are clearly showing and he contacts him on the back of the calf.

“If that leg had been planted on the ground, it would’ve possibly caused severe injury. It was reckless, how can Martin Keown sit there, and all these other pundits who say it’s not a red card, they just need to wake up, the game’s changed Martin.”

Keown was quick to counter the supporter’s comments, responding with a question.

“I pose you one here, so Gomes gets sent off for two yellows, was that second challenge not more a red than the Arsenal one?” the former defender queried.

“Possibly,” the Wolves fan replied.

Keown then quizzed the caller about why Gomes wasn’t shown a straight red card, before the fan directed the conversation towards the abuse aimed at Oliver.

“When your six studs are showing towards the back of someone’s calf and going in at that speed, I tell you Martin you just really need to wake up and be honest about it because Michael Oliver’s getting all this stick because of people like you.”

Keown denied that he directly contributed to the criticism of Oliver, before co-hosts Jim White and Simon Jordan supported the Old Gold follower with his argument.

talkSPORT exchange highlights why Arsenal fans should be aggrieved

Numerous incidents of violent conduct have gone unpunished this season, while Lewis-Skelly’s light trip on Doherty was deemed a tackle of this nature and was reprimanded.

The replays clearly indicate that the teenager’s challenge wasn’t high and that there was minimal force involved.

However, as evidenced by the interaction between Keown and the Wolves fan on talkSPORT, not everyone saw it in the same way.

With genuine incidents of violent conduct not being met with this push-back from opposition fans, Arsenal fans should be aggrieved.

The Gunners have received four red cards this season, each for offences that have been mirrored in other Premier League matches and haven’t resulted in punishment.