Arsenal were left in disbelief after seeing Myles Lewis-Skelly handed a controversial red card against Wolves at Molineux on Saturday.
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Lewis-Skelley sent off in first halfHugely controversial call by referee VAR confirms 'serious foul play'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The Gunners were reduced to 10 men in the first half of their clash with Wolves after Lewis-Skelly was shown a straight red for a challenge on Matt Doherty inside his own half. The decision brought outrage on social media, with fans left stunned by the decision to send the Arsenal youngster off. Referee Michael Oliver's decision was checked and confirmed by the VAR team who were happy with his controversial call.
AdvertisementTHE EXPLANATION
The decision was confirmed by the Premier League on social media: "The referee’s call of a red card for Lewis-Skelly was checked and confirmed by VAR, who deemed his challenge to have been serious foul play."
AFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Lewis-Skelly caught Doherty with a late challenge as Wolves looked to break and it was a clear foul. However, it appeared a simple yellow card offence rather than a red. Arsenal players were visibly angry at the decision to send off Lewis-Skelly but VAR agreed with Oliver that it was "serious foul play." Yet it's debatable whether the challenge actually meets the criteria. Serious foul play is described in the laws of the game as "a tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality."
DID YOU KNOW?
Lewis-Skelly's sending off is the fourth red card Arsenal have been shown in the Premier League this season. Declan Rice, William Saliba and Leandro Trossard have also been handed their marching orders in the current campaign.
